College Athletes & Brand Management

College football programs bring in massive amounts of revenue. In 2019-2020, pre-pandemic, the Oklahoma Sooners program was the most valuable, bringing in $101 million in revenue. So, with all that money, what do athletes get paid? As most of you probably know, the answer (until recently) has been nothing. BUT, per a ruling from the NCAA in 2021, college athletes can now capitalize on their Name, Image, and Likeness, or NIL. Not only can this teach us a lot about building a brand, but it can also teach us about mitigating risk. Pro-bound college athletes no longer have to take as much of a gamble by staying in college longer. They can now start building wealth in college.