College Sports & NIL in 2025: Brands Opportunity Has Never Been Greater

When Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights were introduced in 2021, brands were expected to lead. Early campaigns from companies like Gatorade, PetSmart, and GoPuff showed the potential of college athletes as powerful, authentic storytellers with cultural credibility and loyal, regional audiences. But the rise of donor-led Collectives focused more on athlete retention than marketing value and perhaps hindered the market.

Now, NIL is entering a new phase, NIL 2.0. The influence of Collectives is waning, schools are stepping in with direct compensation and a $20.5 million cap on school-to-athlete spending, better regulation is in place and the commercial side of NIL is expanding faster than ever, Marketing NIL deals are projected to grow from $234 million to nearly $1 billion in 2025–26. And the results are telling; athletes deliver more engagement and authenticity than traditional influencers. Athletes have an average 5.6% social engagement rate compared to influencers’ 1.9%.

Go Beyond The Traditional Post
The most impactful NIL partnerships go beyond transactional posts. Brands should focus on longer-form, content-led campaigns that allow athletes to show personality and purpose. Whether it’s a behind-the-scenes docuseries, product collaboration, or values-driven initiative, depth matters. Athletes care deeply about what they represent – and audiences can tell.

The Continued Rise of Women’s Sports
Women’s basketball ranks in the top five in overall NIL activity and women’s basketball engagement outpaces their male counterparts. NIL deal value in volleyball rose by 146% year-over-year, the sports get tremendous engagement for a fraction of the cost of other sports.

Partnering with these athletes also opens the door to campaigns that cross over into fashion, wellness, health, and purpose-driven storytelling.

College Fandom Never Stops

The fandom isn’t just in September and March, it is year-round. Brands need to build year-long public relations and content platforms. If you are engrained in the sport year-round your target audience will see you as an endemic part of the community.

Digital Stars Can Be Hidden
The biggest names don’t always yield the biggest results. Brands are seeing meaningful ROI from athletes at mid-majors, Division II and III schools, and non-revenue sports. Their reach might be smaller, but their influence is often more concentrated and trusted.

The Market Has Matured. The Moment Is Now.
The NIL space is finally stabilizing—and opening up. The regulatory environment is clearer, the storytelling potential is richer, and the media footprint of athletes continues to expand.

For brands, this is not a return to NIL. It’s a reset—and the opportunity has never been stronger.

Thoughts? Let’s connect: