Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals have become a major topic of discussion in recent years. This new legislation allows student-athletes to generate compensation, endorsements, and sponsorships based off of their own personal brand. At first glance, this form of student empowerment should be a complete positive for those involved in college athletes. Revenue sharing has allowed for them to get a piece of what they generate for their schools. But the issue is not that cut and dry.
Although student-athletes are more powerful than ever before, this financial incentive to play creates a power imbalance between NCAA teams. Larger teams with more money and resources to pour into their athletic programs are better equipped to recruit and retain high-end talent than smaller schools are.
Exploring NIL
The Lehigh landscape
Photo Gallery by Billy Arthur
Breaking down NIL policy
Data Visualizations by Aidan Singleton, Austin Huff, Geoffrey Jamiel and Nolan Coen
The offseason with Lehigh Men’s Basketball
The Lehigh Men’s Basketball team ended their triumphant season atop the Patriot League, and with an NCAA Tournament Appearance, since then several members of the Mountain hawks Championship team have entered the transfer portal, with NIL speculated as a potential reason. Now the team is going about their offseason activities while adjusting to the changes.
Photo Gallery by Benjy Pastor