Lea: Athletes profiting from NIL is the 'humane' thing to do
Posted July 1, 2021 9:35 p.m. EDT
Updated July 2, 2021 3:18 p.m. EDT
"Every kid wants to come to Duke," said Zion Williamson. "Every game was big. There was no little game. It helped my personal brand a lot. The stuff they taught me here, I think if I went anywhere else, I wouldn't have learned it."
That was a quote from Zion Williamson in a video that Duke Men's Basketball tweeted on July 1st, the first day collegiate student-athletes could cash in on their name, image and likeness.
Duke’s world class social media team called the best NIL play for the world to see. Take one of the biggest college stars in recent memory and post a video from him explaining how Duke maximized his brand before the NBA. Of course Zion has gone on to become the number one pick in the NBA draft and an endorsement darling, raking in millions.
They soon followed up with a similar video from Jayson Tatum, a two-time NBA All Star who signed a 5-year, $195 Million contract extension with the Boston Celtics at the end of 2020.
This will be the impact on NIL on college basketball. The college basketball we know and love is not going away — there’s too much money to be made. But it will change. Instead of cheering for a team because you graduated from there and you love the school and it’s traditions, you may have to pivot and cheer for the school whose brands are so popular, they will attract the highest level athletes … and traditions alongside of that.
Duke is clearly positioning themselves to the top basketball recruits that if they want the most exposure, which could mean more chances to land high-paying endorsements, that coming to Durham should be their number one option.
UNC's Armando Bacot has already cashed in, being announced as Jimmy's Seafood's first ever endorsed collegiate athlete.
NC State announced a program called "ALPHA" which was put together to help Wolfpack student-athletes navigate the NIL waters. Many schools around the nation have announced similar programs, which means that NIL is here to stay, no matter what your personal opinion on it is.
Someone who's on the fence about it is former NC State Men's basketball player Scott Wood. On one hand he thinks this could help keep basketball players in school longer, with him telling me: “Now they have the opportunity to get some money here to be well off enough to where they don’t have to jump to the NBA too early, and they make the mistake and they never develop. That hurts them in the long run.”
But on the other hand, he thinks the passion that college basketball is known for, could dissipate, saying: “When I turned professional it turned into how much money can I make. It turned into money, money, money. And slowly the drive to love the game kind of went away a little bit and I just don’t want that to happen to these kids.”
But when it all boils down, it's just fair to allow this. Without these players there are no sports. There isn't a "Battle of the Blues". No one will be paying to see myself and the WRAL crew play in media basketball games (unless it's a one off for charity) or tune in to the game on television.
Without these players, Universities wouldn't be able to build multi-million dollar athletic complexes or pay some of their coaches millions of dollars.
College is college, but the players still should have access to the money that being made and spent around college sports.
Even non-revenue and lower division athletes should have access. Before last week's Supreme Court ruling, a division three basketball player couldn't get a paid internship over the summer without the threat of losing their eligibility. Before July 1st, the same player couldn't use their name, image and likeness to sell tickets to a concert they're playing in over the weekend. NIL just makes things fair, whether athletes will be potentially raking in millions or simply being able to start a business like any other free adult can.
Most will not make millions, most will be able to make enough money to keep on the lights, if even that, without begging mom and dad for money.
If we're truly a country that celebrates a free market, then it's the humane thing to do.
