For decades, the model of college sport was built on a simple idea: student-athletes were amateurs who proudly represented their institution on the playing field while receiving a college degree. But, what if I told you that the student-athlete experience has undergone its most radical transformation in over a century? What if the long-revered tradition of amateurism has been dismantled in favor of a professionalized, revenue-sharing hybrid? And what if today’s student-athletes are no longer just participants in the system, but active economic actors capable of building brands, negotiating deals, and reshaping the future of intercollegiate athletics?

In today’s episode, we explore the rise of Name, Image, and Likeness and what it means for the current and future landscape of college athletics. From the legal and historical forces that brought NIL into existence, to how NIL deals actually work in practice, where the money comes from, and how athletes navigate this new marketplace. Along the way, we examine the role of universities, state laws, collectives, and the NCAA in regulating NIL, as well as the opportunities and challenges this new era presents.

Ultimately, this episode asks a bigger question: is NIL simply a reform within college sport, or is it the beginning of a complete transformation of the system itself?