By: Taylor Mills<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In June 2022 student-athletes from the University of Southern California were asked to participate in a \u201chype\u201d video for a new company called BLVD LLC. Produced by the media company Stay Doubted, this promotional material aimed to draw investors in to support Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals for student-athletes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Skylar Fields, a now graduate student outside hitter for the volleyball team, was one of the athletes staring in this content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was kind of weird because there was a collective set of athletes, and we all recorded that video back in the summer, and then it was like there was nothing else from BLVD,\u201d Fields said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In less than six months, the University would cut ties with this NIL entity, and many athletes were left without support to secure sponsorships or deals while the era for college athlete promotions began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Name, Image and Likeness\u2014 also known as the \u201cright to publicity\u201d\u2014 was legalized for student-athletes competing within the National Collegiate Athletics Association on June 21, 2021, when the Supreme Court unanimously ruled the NCAA cannot limit athletes\u2019 compensation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since this ruling third party entities known as \u201ccollectives\u201d have popped up at universities around the country. Whether for-profit, not-for-profit, or non-profit in label, these organizations claim to pool donor or investor money to facilitate NIL deals for student-athletes. BLVD was the first collective officially recognized by USC, but according to Fields the connections didn\u2019t follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs athletes we’re like, this is USC like, we’re supposed to have all this stuff, have all these connections, and people to be able to do these things for us,\u201d Fields said. \u201cBut it’s just a slow process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fields ultimately negotiated her own NIL deals. With sponsored content<\/a> from Move Soles and a fitness equipment company called McDavid, she highlighted her engagement on social media in negotiations on top of her standing as a Division I athlete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Branding or marketability have been the key factors for women college athletes in securing NIL deals. Multiple national surveys studying NIL collectives show these entities are overwhelmingly investing in men\u2019s sports\u2014 particularly men\u2019s football and basketball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OpenDorse, an online NIL marketplace for athletes, released a 2022 report<\/a> in January analyzing how NIL compensation is distributed to women athletes. Brands were found to make up 91.7% of the buyer segment for women athletes, and 34% of collectives have engaged in women\u2019s sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n