Surprising NIL Movement within the SEC

Name, image and likeness which is also known as “NIL” has been a norm in college athletics for a few years now. As time has gone on, athletes are making more and more in the everchanging landscape of said college athletics and NIL.

New sponsors are always coming and going, athletes from the high school to college ranks are always incoming and outgoing and regulations are seemingly always changing at the discretion of the NCAA; whether fair or unfair.

What are some Examples of Unique NIL Situations in the SEC?

NILSU

Olivia "Livvy" Dunne and Angel Reese have taken a unique outside the box approach as an example during their time with the LSU Tigers, opting to give some of their massive NIL earnings not to teams spotlighted like football and basketball, but to their teammates and some of the lesser known college sports teams.

NCAA Vs. Tennessee Athletics

In Knoxville, quarterback Nico Iamaleava was targeted by the NCAA for impermissible benefits during his high school recruitment. Many think the ruling was unfair and an arbitrary ruling by the NCAA. In turn, the NCAA eventually rested its case and will not punish Iamaleava or the university. It still goes to show however that NIL sure is a polarizing topic.

State of Missouri NIL Regulations

NIL regulations in regards to benefits are different state-to-state. Some states are at more of an advantage than others, and vice-versa. Missouri is a state that allows athletes in high school to receive NIL money if they are offered it. This is a unique benefit to athletes within the state that many other states do not have.

LANK

“Let all the naysayers know.” That is the term that has been used since the 2023 season for the Alabama Crimson Tide that was made famous by 2023 Crimson Tide standouts, Terrion Arnold and Jalen Milroe. This playful slogan was not only one that turned into a source of motivation for the Tide, but allowed Arnold and Milroe to profit tremendously off of it.

According to www.sportskeeda.com, Arnold’s NIL valuation is projected to be $813k. Milroe’s NIL valuation according to On3 is $1.6M. “Lank” was a huge part of this for each, and a neat example of how players could profit.

Haley Van Lith

Former LSU Tiger Haley Van Lith has an estimated NIL Value per On3 of $563K. Van Lith has deals with several large companies according to On3 such as Dicks Sporting Goods, Tigers NIL Store, Invesco QQQ and Adidas.