NCAA Athletes Can Now Accept Paid Brand Partnerships
Last month, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) enacted a groundbreaking new policy, allowing student athletes in all 50 states to make money off their name, image, and likeness (NIL) — something that’s been prohibited in the past.
College sports is a $14 billion industry, but the NCAA banned athletes from making money from endorsements based on “amateurism.” In other words, they could not get paid because they’re student athletes, as opposed to professionals.
Prior to this new rule, college athletes weren’t legally allowed to receive compensation for their likeness. But the implementation of the NIL rules exposes student athletes to great benefits and opportunities:
They can expand their personal brand into a business.
Their prominence as college athletes can extend beyond their four years at school.
They can promote brands they’re passionate about and get compensated for their efforts.
They can build a large and dedicated following.
They can sell their own merchandise and profit from it.
What does this mean for brands?
College athletes often possess large, loyal, and highly engaged social followings across their social media channels. And while regular influencers have engagement rates (the total number of engagements divided by total followers) between 1% - 5%, athletes can have engagement rates as high as 30%!
In an industry where 5% is considered very high, athletes are breaking the mold for potential awareness and impressions on brand partnerships. While their content may not necessarily be as professional as a traditional influencer or creator's content, their impressions alone can drive much more awareness for a brand. And the content is authentic!
If college athletes make sense for your brand — and they do for quite a number of food + beverage brands — it’s time to consider partnering with them. Many athletes have already started to work with well-known food brands.
Take Bojangles, the North Carolina-based chicken restaurant, who has partnered with a number of student athletes across the South: