NIL in College Sports: A Former Georgia Tech Athlete’s View

NIL in College Sports: Athletes Deserve More Than a Check

By Jimy Lincoln | Former Georgia Tech two-sport athlete

The number attached to an NIL deal usually gets more attention than the agreement behind it. We hear what an athlete might earn, which school is involved, and what the arrangement could mean for recruiting. Less often do we hear who helped that athlete understand what they were signing.

As a former two-sport athlete at Georgia Tech, I look at this conversation with an appreciation for what college competition demands. Playing two sports gives you a particular respect for time. Training, competition, recovery, and schoolwork all need their share. Adding business obligations to that schedule deserves more thought than the headlines usually allow.

I support athletes having the opportunity to earn money from their name, image, and likeness. My concern is whether we are preparing them to manage the opportunity as carefully as we prepare them to compete.

What NIL Actually Means

NIL allows athletes to receive compensation for commercial uses of their name, image, and likeness. That can include endorsements, sponsored social posts, appearances, and other promotional work. It is a business relationship with responsibilities attached, rather than simply a reward for being a talented player.

The conversation has also expanded beyond outside endorsements. Following approval of the House v. NCAA settlement in June 2025, participating Division I schools gained a framework for providing direct financial benefits to athletes. Those institutional payments and third-party NIL arrangements belong in the same broader discussion about athlete compensation, but they should not be treated as interchangeable.

That distinction matters when families compare opportunities. Who is paying? What is guaranteed? What work must the athlete complete? Those questions tell us more than a reported dollar figure.

The Business Education Must Catch Up

An athlete can be disciplined in competition and inexperienced with contracts. We should be able to acknowledge both without questioning whether that athlete deserves compensation.

Before signing, athletes need to understand the payment schedule, promotional obligations, length of the agreement, and rights they are granting. An exclusivity clause could affect another partnership. A commitment to produce content could become difficult during the season. The details deserve attention before the excitement turns into an obligation.

Current rules also make documentation important. In August 2026, the NCAA adopted a Division I provision explicitly allowing the College Sports Commission to decline clearance of a third-party NIL agreement when sufficient information or documentation is not provided, following a 14-day notice.

My takeaway is straightforward: business preparation needs a regular place in athlete development. Access to qualified contract review, practical financial education, and clear compliance guidance should be part of the support system.

Opportunity Should Reach Beyond the Biggest Names

I would like to see the NIL conversation spend more time on athletes outside the most visible programs and positions.

A useful partnership does not have to become national news. A local business may value an athlete’s connection with its customers. A thoughtfully organized clinic or community appearance can offer something meaningful to both sides. Those possibilities deserve attention alongside the larger deals.

From my perspective as a former two-sport athlete, the danger is allowing commercial visibility to become our shorthand for an athlete’s worth. Some contributions draw cameras. Others happen in preparation, practice, and the work that holds a team together.

Keep the Athlete at the Center

College sports can recognize an athlete’s commercial value while continuing to value education, development, and team commitments. Making that work requires adults and institutions to take their responsibilities seriously.

I want athletes to have more opportunity and more control over their futures. I also want them to understand the decisions they are making.

A check can create options. Knowing the terms behind it helps an athlete keep them.