College Football NIL Profits Are On The Rise In Year 2

The name, image, and likeness era began just two months before the 2021 football season, sending players scrambling.

But after a year and a steep learning curve, they’re already earning three times more per deal. 

In August 2021, football players averaged $1,132 per transaction on INFLCR, according to data provided to Front Office Sports. But in Aug. 2022, they averaged $3,162 per transaction — a 179% uptick.

The rapid, year-over-year growth likely results from several trends:

• Wealthy boosters and donors have formed NIL collectives to spend big on certain football players — potentially driving up the average transaction cost.
• Many top sports marketing spenders, like Gatorade and Under Armour, took several months to understand the complicated legal landscape but have since jumped in.
• Athletes and their agents have become more savvy.
• Many schools, particularly at the FBS level, have begun investing in in-house NIL educators.

Another factor: As athletes learned how to profit, they also learned how to use platforms like INFLCR, which help facilitate marketplaces, disclosure and compliance. There are not only more deals, but more properly vetted and disclosed ones.