Two years ago, the NCAA approved a name, image, and likeness policy (NIL) that allows student-athletes to monetize themselves as a way to make money.

It’s time to take a look at the impact NIL deals are having on the NCAA because the results have been just as polarizing as the debate beforehand:

Saint Paul’s junior Callahan Leahy believes NIL helps college sports:

NIL deals have been attracting athletes nationwide and have finally rewarded athletes for their success.

College athletes haven’t been paid aside from scholarships until NIL deals became legal. Athletes at the top of their game deserve to be paid before they play professionally; they deserve to be rewarded for their success.

NIL also attracts more athletes to play in college and inspires more people to play sports. Getting paid in college for sports is an opportunity that will convince many more athletes to attend college.

While many believe NIL concentrates among the best programs, it’s actually spread out. Limiting athletes to no pay outside of scholarships has helped the highest-spending schools recruit the best; however, NIL attracts athletes to schools where they could be paid in commercials. College sports won’t ever have a competitive balance, but this will land athletes in more destinations and diminish dynasties.

For example, in college football, Texas is ranked #3, the first time in the top five since 2010. This is because they earned $13,579,622 in NIL deals between football and basketball. Ultimately, this brought in recruits who wanted to get paid.

NIL helps athletes to learn how to make intelligent decisions with their money. Before NIL, athletes didn’t learn enough about making financial decisions. But now, they learn how to sign contracts, pay taxes, make decisions on saving and investing, and learn how business works.

If musicians who don’t attend college can get paid for their work, there’s no reason that athletes can’t get paid just because they’re playing college sports. Colleges have been selfish and wouldn’t pay the athletes who encourage people to go their college.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders agrees that college athletes getting paid is no different than anybody else. ”Everybody’s chasing a bag, then you get mad at the players when they chase it. How is that?”

Finally, from a broader perspective, not paying college athletes goes against the capitalist ideas that America is based on. Getting no pay for hard work and results is ridiculous, so it’s clearly a good thing that the NIL is finally ending an old, unfair practice.

Saint Paul’s junior Vinceio Montalbano thinks NIL Deals are ruining the integrity of college sports:

In only two years since NIL deals became legal, they have ripped away more than one billion dollars from college schools and sent them to student-athletes. Per NCSA, This has caused an uneven balance in college sports, allowing the schools with higher profit margins to receive more freshman and transfer students because they can pay these athletes more money. 

In the past, the NCAA stood firm on their opinion that NIL deals were not a vital part of the atmosphere they wanted to build for college sports because it blurred the line between amateur and professional sports.

The NCAA’s main concern with NIL deals is that they could lead to the professionalization of college sports. By allowing college athletes to make money off endorsements and advertisements, the NCAA becomes all too similar to professional sports, which leads to a shift in these college athletes’ focus from the educational experience to financial benefits. 

Another major issue with NIL deals becoming legal in college sports is that they have torn previous players’ careers apart in the past for breaking NIL rules while failing to make amends with these players who were harmed for deals in the past.

For example, Reggie Bush was stripped of his Heisman Trophy in 2010, five years after he won it after the NCAA discovered he and his family were on the end of beneficial deals during his time at USC. Even with the approval of NIL deals in college sports, Bush has turned down the opportunity to regain his Heisman Trophy or have any involvement with the NCAA.

Bush’s treatment is unfair and is a prime example of why the NCAA should never have backed down on its strong stance opposing NIL deals.

Furthermore, NIL deals have also put too much power in the hands of college athletes, letting them determine where they end up at the pro level.

Recently, rumors have swirled that Caleb Williams, the starting quarterback at USC and projected number one pick in the NFL Draft, will stay in college another year if he does not like the team with the first overall pick. In an interview with ESPN, Williams’ dad stated, “The organizations matter. He’s got two shots at the apple. So if there’s not a good situation, the truth is, he can come back to school.” 

The option of returning to school for senior year was not a realistic option in the past, but NIL deals have given the opportunity for these athletes to stay in school longer and still make professional money. This may sound like a good change for athletes, but it is ruining professional sports organizations.

Many teams each year do their due diligence scouting in hopes of finding their next star, and the draft process typically favors teams with worse records from the year before. Now, NIL deals are allowing more athletes to stay in college if they do not like the team they end up on, which hurts the landscape of organizations in all major sports.

Finally, NIL deals present a new challenge that student-athletes may start to prioritize their NIL deals over the rest of their academic and athletic responsibilities. College athletes already face the challenge of balancing their athletic and academic activities, so the additional pressure of NIL deals could cause these athletes to lose focus on their primary responsibilities.

Overall, NIL deals in college sports are having a negative impact on both the college and professional sports landscape.