New season. New classes. New ways to slay NIL.

• Register for classes ✔️

• Get practice schedule ✔️

• Move into dorm or apartment ✔️

• Buy or rent textbooks ✔️

• Update your bio, website and NIL contact list ✔️

Wait, what’s that last one?

If you're a college athlete—or a high school athlete in a state that allows you to profit from your name, image and likeness (NIL)—now’s the time to get organized. Not just for on-the-field drills, but off-the-field opportunities too.

This is the fourth year that athletes can learn and earn from NIL deals, yet some still aren’t sure where to start when it comes to partnering with a business. Others figure they’ll get a few dollars from the House v. NCAA settlement and that’s where their earning potential ends.

With a nod to Dr. Seuss, oh, the places you can go!

The NCAA once claimed total ownership of your birth-given NIL, but thanks to athletes and adult advocates, those rights are back where they should be—with you. It took a lot of years and mess to get here, and there’s still some schmutz on Aisle 2025. But there are also more chances than ever for you to put NIL to work the way it was meant to be — exchanging your time, presence and audience for real-world experience and pay.

You don’t have to be your state’s top recruit or have thousands of social media followers to land strong NIL opportunities. You just need to clearly communicate, be honest about your strengths and coachability and honor commitments. 

Here’s how to make that happen:

✅ Shore up your socials and landing page/website — Make sure your social media bios are scannable and accurate. Include your sport and how to contact you. Pin a post that shows your personality or something you care about. Include your accomplishments and a couple of nuggets about what makes you a good teammate on and off the court.

✅ Know what you like — Make a short list of brands, causes or local spots you use or support. That’s your starting point. 

✅ Keep a calendar — Practices, games, classes, content ideas — handwrite your commitments and schedules or set reminders on your phone if you haven’t already. It helps you stay on top of your obligations and figure out where you’ve got space for NIL projects. 

Also, do ideas come to you when you can’t immediately act on them? Voice memos are your friend.

✅ Save your highlights — Big game? Individual or team honor? Cool article? Fun video? Keep them handy. These moments help tell your story when a business is looking for someone with your strengths.

✅ Ask for help — Coaches, mentors, your school's NIL rep — don’t guess at this stuff. You’ve got people who want to see you win. Embrace their expertise and value their contacts.

✅ Outside trust — Don’t sign anything until it’s been professionally reviewed. Tap outside experts before you act: agents, attorneys and publicists. Review every detail like you did before you agreed to your grant-in-aid. Make sure they know the NIL world. Everything should benefit you and make sense when you read it.

None of this has to be perfect. It just has to be organized so you’re ready to roll toward your next practice, project and payday.

Do you need names for credible agents and attorneys to be sure your NIL deals are real? I can refer you to good ones.

(And your publicist— she’s right here 😎 - just hit REPLY.)

We have your best interests at heart.

© 2025 Gail Sideman, NILPublicity.com, The NIL Edge 

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