NIL
A college football term
Name, image and likeness: the right of a college athlete to be paid for endorsements, appearances and use of their own identity. It is money from third parties, not from the school, which separates it from revenue sharing.
NIL is a marketing payment. A brand, a local business or a donor-funded collective pays the athlete for something bearing their name or image.
It is not supposed to be payment for playing, and that line is where nearly every dispute lives.
Revenue sharing under the House settlement is the newer, separate thing: money paid by the school itself. The two coexist and are often confused.
You’ll hear it like this
His NIL deals are with local businesses, separate from anything the school pays him directly.
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Checked 2026-08-07.