Sports
What is NIL in college sports? How do athlete deals work?
College athletes weren’t always allowed to make money off their athletic ability. It wasn’t until 2021 that the NCAA changed rules to allow students to profit from their name, image and likeness — otherwise known as NIL.
What exactly is NIL?
“NIL” stands for “name, image and likeness.” It refers to a person’s legal right to control how their image is used, including commercially. In college, student-athletes have long been prohibited from making deals to profit from their fame, so they forfeited their NIL rights by signing on with college sports teams. A combination of NCAA rule changes and state laws restored NIL rights to college athletes, and they’ve been making sponsorship deals ever since.
Who oversees the deals?
A combination of school policies and state laws dictate what deals athletes can make. In states with no oversight, the NCAA has universities write policies for their own athletes. Some common school requirements are that athletes get business advice or training before making deals or preventing them from promoting certain products. State laws are primarily focused on preventing NIL deals from being used as recruitment tools. Schools can’t pay students directly, but some states have murky laws surrounding just how involved a school’s booster club can get.
Do athletes get agents or business advisors?
Yes, every athlete is allowed to hire professionals to help with marketing, legal issues, tax laws and other business dealings. Many schools also offer training and resources to athletes directly, often in the form of early-season classes on NIL law and basic business practices.
Do athletes have to report deals to their school or another authority?
Most colleges have policies that require athletes to report the details of any potential deals with their schools, and some must get school approval before signing. Several schools reserve the right to keep their athletes from advertising certain products, like drugs and alcohol.
Why do the rules differ between areas? Will that change?
While several states now have NIL laws or have proposed bills to implement them, the content is far from uniform. Like any state-by-state legislation, local lawmakers have taken different approaches to prioritizing local businesses and incentivizing top athletes to choose universities within their borders.
The NCAA has expressed concern that, without a federal law, enforcing its own NIL rules could violate antitrust rules — so while the organization has hoped that Congress will pass a federal standard, there’s no national set of rules.
What kinds of deals are athletes making?
From free sneakers and workout gear to high-end clothing items and dorm essentials, perks for college athletes signing NIL deals have skyrocketed since student-athletes won the right to cash in on the publicity they bring to their schools.
The biggest stars, guided by business mentors and school-provided financial advice, have cashed in. As of March 2026, On3 ranked Texas quarterback Arch Manning as the star of the current NIL market with a whopping $5.4 million valuation. The site estimates that each of the 20 players at the top of its list are worth a minimum of $2 million.
For the athletes who combine strong social media presence, business savvy and prowess on the field, big brands are eager to shell out. Top athletes have signed deals with Nike, Adidas and Under Armour, while non-athletic brands such as T-Mobile, Sam’s Club and Amazon tap students across the country.
Naturally, the vast majority of college athletes don’t meet that threshold — which hasn’t stopped companies from local mom & pop shops to international brands from partnering with up-and-coming students in every sport and a variety of schools.
Some particularly quirky deals have enamored both athletes and businesses beyond their usual audience.
Dienurst Collins, an offensive lineman at Lake Erie College, scored both a deal and a second round of internet fame when he signed a deal with Popeyes — where he went viral at 9 years old for side-eyeing a stranger who recorded him at the restaurant then posted the video.
Decoldest Crawford capitalized on his name to earn some extra money while injured. The Louisiana Tech wide receiver partnered with a family-owned air conditioning business to make a commercial based around the pun.
Running back Bijan Robinson took a similar approach to name-based leverage while playing for Texas. He began selling Dijon mustard, marketing it as Bijan Mustardson and selling it in Texas. When Robinson joined the Atlanta Falcons he brought the branding with him, now touting it as the official Dijon mustard of the team.
Brands don’t discriminate based on given names. Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry snapped up a deal with his nickname’s brand soon after the ruling that allowed NIL deals.
Other companies’ strategies for NIL have had them sponsoring several athletes at a time.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups didn’t limit itself to one athlete, team, or even school in picking its NIL deals. Instead, the candy brand partnered with a dozen students from Texas to Delaware who seemingly share just two traits: playing football and having the last name “Reese.” Angel Reese didn’t appear in their original list but has since become an ambassador for the brand in her own right.
Many deals rely less on an athlete’s individual story than their ability to play NIL for laughs — such as one with Colorado lineman Tommy Brown, who stripped down to model Shinesty underwear in a series of tongue-in-cheek poses that emphasized his farmer’s tan. Arkansas wide receiver Trey Knox brought his dog, Blue, into a deal with him. PetSmart sponsored both of them, in a move that brought both a wave of online engagement.
Gymnast Sam Phillips, the first male athlete at Nebraska to come out as gay, has worked with plenty of local businesses but told ESPN he’s been particularly excited to partner with businesses that celebrate Black and LGBTQIA+ customers. Before moving to Illinois, he modeled everything from underwear to athletic tape, the latter of which he did for Our Colour, which makes tape to match darker skin tones than many brands offer.
“It’s definitely more like [small and minority-owned businesses] are taking care of me,” Phillips said. “It’s a really face-to-face, very personal relationship.”
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The most likely NBA Finals matchup this season? The defending champs and a team that hasn’t seen the Finals in nearly three decades.
Let’s check out the odds for which squads will advance to the NBA Finals as of May 5 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
NBA Eastern Conference winner
Knicks: +110 (bet $10 to win $21 total)
Pistons: +270 (bet $10 to win $37 total)
Cavaliers: +340 (bet $10 to win $44 total)
76ers: +950 (bet $10 to win $105 total)
NBA Western Conference winner
Thunder: -260 (bet $10 to win $14.35 total)
Spurs: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Wolves: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Lakers: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Here’s what to know about this oddsboard:
Finals Favorites: The Thunder won it all last season, and the season before that, the Celtics reached the top of the mountain. So, entering the postseason, the two squads were favored to meet in a seven-game series with the title on the line, meaning one of the two franchises could have been approaching dynasty territory if the odds had rung true. However, the Celtics suffered a shocking first-round defeat at the hands of the Sixers, despite leading the series 3-1. Now, Boston is at home, while the Thunder will face the Lakers after sweeping the Suns in Round 1. The new favorite to come out the East? The New York Knicks, who haven’t been to the Finals since falling 4-1 to San Antonio at the conclusion of the 1998-99 season. N.Y. beat Atlanta in six games in the first round and is up 1-0 on Philly in the second round.
The Challengers: The Spurs are next in the mix from the West. Keep in mind, San Antonio and OKC faced off five times this season, and the Spurs won four of those matchups, including the first three. In terms of the East, after New York, things are up in the air, with the Pistons, Cavs and Sixers all in the mix. Detroit, after being one of three teams to win 60 games in the regular season and the only East team to accomplish the feat, has not been getting much respect on the oddsboards, including this one. However, it could have something to do with the Pistons trailing 3-1 to Orlando in the first round, and having to overcome a 60-38 halftime deficit in Game 6 in order to force a Game 7, which they ultimately won.
Sports
Joe Girardi remembers John Sterling’s passion, humor in emotional tribute to Yankees legend: ‘I miss him’
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The Yankee Stadium crowd altered its usual roll call on Monday night in the series finale against the Baltimore Orioles to honor a legendary man synonymous with the team’s long history.
Chants for John Sterling, the longtime radio announcer for the New York Yankees, roared from the bleachers and seats in the Bronx on a somber Monday for baseball fans in the tri-state, and even across the country.
Joe Girardi was among those mourning the loss of an iconic voice that he had the pleasure of knowing as a player, manager and media colleague throughout his own career in baseball. Like many, Sterling’s impact was one Girardi felt immediately, which is why there was only one feeling when he heard the news.
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Former New York Yankees player and manager Joe Girardi reflected on his relationship with the late John Sterling, the legendary radio announcer who passed away at 87. (GETTY)
“Just sadness because I know how much he meant to the organization, to the Yankees, to me, [and] to people,” Girardi, who serves as a YES Yankees analyst, told Fox News Digital in a phone interview on Monday.
“I’ve always loved to be around people that have such a great passion for what they do. John truly had that. He had a gift, but he truly had a passion. For that, his example was great. I miss him. I miss hearing him on the radio because there’s a lot of times I’m traveling and I’ll put the game on the radio. I have SiriusXM radio and listen to games. I miss it. I miss hearing him and Suzyn [Waldman].”
Waldman, Sterling’s long-time partner on WFAN Sports Radio, was one of those Girardi spoke with on Monday after hearing the news.
YANKEES RADIO ICON JOHN STERLING DEAD AT 87
“She said something that really resonated with me about John. She goes, ‘John only did what he wanted to do and never did anything he didn’t want to do.’ You think about living your life – that’s a good life,” Girardi explained. “I think of things I do that I don’t want to do, but I do them anyway. That wasn’t John Sterling. He lived his life to the fullest. He enjoyed it, enjoyed being around people, and was ready to go and do his job. He brought life into your family room, or into your car, or wherever he was at and whatever he was doing.”
For 64 years, Sterling was in the broadcast industry, but he left his mark on one of the most iconic organizations in all of sports when he joined the Yankees in 1989 and didn’t leave his post until April 2024.
Even then, Sterling returned to the radio booth for the Yankees’ postseason broadcasts as they made their way back to the World Series for the first time since Girardi’s 2009 team won it all over the Philadelphia Phillies.
It was during his time as a manager that Girardi said he remembers his favorite interaction with Sterling that rang true to the exceptional character and man he was.
New York Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling emcees the Old Timers Day ceremony before a game between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in New York City on July 30, 2022. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
“I think the interactions that I remember the most, and it was well into my career obviously. I was the Yankees manager and John was doing the pre-game,” Girardi began. “We do it every day and John would have his old tape recorder, and have his phone with him. We were in the middle of the interview and he stops the tape. He takes his phone out of his pocket, flips it open because then they were flip phones. He says, ‘Darling, I’m doing the manager’s show. I’ll call you back in three minutes.’ I ‘m thinking, ‘Who does that?’ He beats his own drum so much, he stopped right in the middle of the show, and I believe we started over. But obviously that call was very important to him. When I think about it today, and this was many years ago, I still laugh today. This was early in my career as a manager because Suzyn took over, and I just sit laughing. That was John Sterling.”
Sterling was also known for his signature home run calls, something Girardi and many others waited with anticipation to hear when a player would hit it over the fences.
They always began with, “It is high, it is far, it is gone!” before breaking out into a catchphrase, or even a song. For Alex Rodriguez, “It’s an A-bomb from A-Rod,” or most recently with “Here comes the Judge!” when Aaron Judge hits a blast.
“Always curious what that was going to be,” Girardi added. “And I was thinking, ‘How do you come up with that?’ He was so creative – I wasn’t given that gene. He was so creative, I always wondered how he thought of it, how long it took him to think of it, and he never missed a beat. A guy got called up and hit a home run the second day? He had it. It was there.”
FILE – In this Sept. 25, 2009, file photo, New York Yankees broadcaster John Sterling sits in the booth before the Yankees’ baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in New York. Sterling was helped out of his flooding car by Spanish radio play-by-play man Rickie Ricardo on Wednesday night, Sept. 1, 2021, after Sterling got stuck trying to drive home after a game. Sterling and Ricardo both called New York’s game at the Los Angeles Angels from Yankee Stadium because the radio crews have not resumed traveling with the team as part of COVID-19 protocols. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File)
Girardi admitted that being older now he appreciates more and more how gifted and talented Sterling was, as well as the grind he went through for so many years calling 162 games with spring training and many postseasons as well.
But even more precious to Girardi than the accolades, signature calls and a consecutive 5,060 games called was the care he had for everyone he ran into.
“What you saw was how much he cared about you as an individual and how much he cared you had success,” Girardi said. “That was the amazing thing about John: he wanted you to have success and for the Yankees to win. It meant something to him. It wasn’t him just doing a job. This was a huge part of his life, and the enjoyment it brought him, you could see it.”
The old cliché is do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.
For Girardi, Sterling did more than just that.
New York Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling speaks with Aaron Judge before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium in New York on April 20, 2024. (New York Yankees/Getty Images)
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“He was an example of how you were supposed to live,” he said. “Find your passion and do it as long as you can. Joe Torre used to always say, ‘Don’t ever take your uniform off until they take it off you.’ That was John Sterling.
“That’s the sign of a man who truly loves what he does. That’s an example that we all need to look forward.”
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Tarik Skubal, the Detroit Tigers’ ace and two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner, is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow that will keep him sidelined for months, manager A.J. Hinch said on Monday.
Skubal isn’t done for the season, but he is expected to be out two to three months following the surgery to remove loose bodies in his left elbow, ESPN reported.
Hinch called it an “easy process and procedure” while delivering the news, but it’s certainly a blow to the Tigers’ staff and Skubal personally that he is sidelined for months.
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Detroit pitcher Tarik Skubal watches during the Atlanta Braves game on April 29, 2026, at Truist Park in Atlanta, Ga. (Rich Von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)
Skubal’s arm locked up during a bullpen session on Sunday ahead of his scheduled start against the Boston Red Sox on Monday night. Now, he will undergo the surgery, with Hinch providing no specific timeline for his return.
Skubal’s last start came in a 4-3 win over the league-leading Atlanta Braves this past Wednesday, where he allowed two runs on five hits across seven innings of work. He struck out seven Braves hitters during his outing.
TIGERS ACE TARIK SKUBAL WINS RECORD-BREAKING $32M IN ARBITRATION: REPORTS
However, in that game, Skubal was spotted rubbing his left arm, leading to Hinch and a Tigers trainer going to the mound to check on the pitcher. Skubal, though, remained in the game after tossing a warm-up pitch, and he went on to pitch seven strong innings.
As a result of Skubal being out, the Tigers recalled Ty Madden to the big leagues. Tyler Holton will also be making the spot start on Monday night, serving as the Tigers’ opener before Hinch needs to get creative with his bullpen.
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal reacts after giving up a hit against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 14, 2025. (Jesse Johnson/Imagn Images)
Skubal is the latest Tigers starter to be placed on the injured list, joining Casey Mize and Justin Verlander. That leaves Framber Valdez and Jack Flaherty as the only healthy starters at the moment.
For Skubal, the timing isn’t great, especially with impending free agency looming.
Skubal won a record-breaking arbitration case this offseason, where the Tigers were told to pay the left-handed ace $32 million for the 2026 campaign after they proposed a $19 million salary. The victory beat Juan Soto’s arbitration pay by the New York Yankees in 2024 by $1 million.
Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers between pitches during the Braves game at Truist Park in Atlanta on April 29, 2026. (Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
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But, with no long-term deal in place for Skubal, the electric starter is set to be one of the top free agents after the season, unless he and the Tigers don’t figure something out before then. It seems unlikely that will happen at this point.
All teams interested in Skubal will be watching his recovery and eventual return closely. Until then, Hinch and the Tigers will need others to step up in the meantime for the starting rotation.
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