The New Name, Image & Likeness Policy: Is Amateurism Dead?

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Curb Event Center. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Vision/Colby Crosby

A full week has passed since the new NIL policy was approved by the NCAA. With it, an ongoing wave of massive endorsement deals have been announced, begging a new question: Is amateurism in college athletics dead?

The idea of amateurism has been at the heart of college athletics for more than a century and has been the biggest argument against college-athletes being able to earn money. This ideology was rooted in the late 1800’s when most people playing college sports were in the wealthy upper-class and it was considered lowbrow to be paid for playing. Those young men came from affluence and played simply for the game. However, since then college-athletes have received little to no compensation for the money made from their performances.

Now, for the first time in nearly 100 years, student-athletes will be able to make money off of their own image, name, and likeness and we have already begun to see many athletes take advantage of this new opportunity.

The sound from around the NCAA has been mostly supportive as many athletic departments want to help and encourage their student-athletes to legally and safely enjoy the benefits of this new policy. In a statement from Middle Tennessee State University Athletic Director Chris Massaro, he voiced his support for their student-athletes and explained how the institution wants to help them grow with this new policy.

“Student-athletes all across the country can profit from name, image and likeness. We fully support all of our Blue Raiders in this endeavor. Our student-athletes are tremendous representatives of our university as they excel in the classroom, on the field and in the community. The student-athlete experience is constantly changing and we are committed to helping them understand, prepare and maximize the opportunity name, image and likeness offers,” says Massaro in the statement.

Belmont University Athletic Director Scott Corley also released a statement to the public, recognizing the NCAA’s decision and reiterating the university’s commitment to student-athletes and their college experience.

One of the most notable sponsorship deals announced since the new policy was enacted has been TSU basketball player Hercy Miller, son of rapper Master P, picking up a $2 million deal with Web Apps America. For a student-athlete who plays at an Ohio Valley Conference school, or any for that matter, that is quite an impressive sum of money. However, according to in article in the Tennessean, Miller has said that the money will be used to pay for gift bags for kids attending the Books and Ball camp he and his dad are set to host.

If this type of behavior of student-athletes giving to charities, fellow students, or even starting their own charities becomes a pattern, it will give more responsibility to the athletes and help them grow, as opposed to the idea that these athletes will just pocket the money for themselves.

Meanwhile, University of Miami quarterback D’Eriq King and Florida State quarterback McKenzie Milton have teamed up to start a business called Dreamfield with the goal of helping other student-athletes book live events, such as autograph signings and speaking engagements.

In some ways, these new NIL policies will allow students to make money while also forcing them to gain real-life work experiences. Many student-athletes dedicate nearly 90% of their time to academics and their sport, leaving them without much time for internships, summer jobs, or part-time jobs. These new policies open a door for them to explore business ventures in an environment where athletic departments and coaches will be able to help guide them in the right direction.

If college is supposed to help people get ready for the “real world” why not let them dabble in as much as they can? With any other platform, you are compensated for your pay and are not barred from pursuing other financial interests, which is something that the Supreme Court of the United States brought attention to in their ruling last month. Under the old policies, the NCAA was preventing athletes from making money off of the work they put in 365 days a year. On top of that, NIL doesn’t cost the NCAA a dime seeing as they don’t have to pay any athlete or deal with any contracts or Title IX issues. Under the new regulations, the student-athlete is able to decide how much they are worth.

So, to answer the question, is amateurism as we know it dead? In a way, yes. However, what we previously accepted as “amateurism” was dysfunctional, hypocritical, and already dead as soon as the average college football coach’s salary reached $2.7 million.

Steven Boero
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