• Loading stock data...
Saturday, June 14, 2025

NIL Collectives Are Slacking on Supporting Women’s Sports

  • Only 34% of existing collectives offered compensation to women’s sports athletes so far, according to Opendorse.
  • Most compensation for women’s sports athletes — 79% — comes from brand endorsement deals.
Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

In 2022, name, image, and likeness collectives — groups of donors, alumni, and local businesses who pooled resources to provide deals to local athletes — took the college sports landscape by storm.

More than 250 collectives have popped up nationwide, from the richest Power 5 programs to some of the smaller no-football schools, according to an Opendorse white paper.

But they have largely failed women’s sports athletes. 

Only 34% of existing collectives offered compensation to women’s sports athletes so far, the report found. The number is particularly disappointing given that collectives account for almost 50% of total NIL compensation.

To date, a few examples of collectives have galvanized women’s sports athletes. 

Perhaps one of the most prominent examples: Utah women’s gymnastics is one of the few women’s programs with a team-specific collective called “Who Rocks The House.”

But the vast majority of involvement comes from multi-sport collectives that have also funded women’s athletes.

Tulane Rides Wave of Historic Season With NIL Donations

Fans donated hundreds of thousands in donations to a Tulane NIL collective.
January 5, 2023
  • A NIL collective for Michigan State athletes called “This Is Sparta!” organized $5,000 deals for every member of the Spartans women’s gymnastics team.
  • South Carolina’s “Garnet Trust” created a program aiming to earn every women’s basketball player an average of $25,000 — a deal brokered with the help of coach Dawn Staley.
  • Tulane’s “Fear The Wave” offered deals to every women’s basketball player. Co-founder Kelly Comarda recently told Front Office Sports the football team’s success galvanized fans to contribute to more women’s deals.

Women’s sports athletes earn 79% of NIL income from brand endorsement deals.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Tennessee wide receiver Grant Frerking (0) drills during fall practice at Haslam Field in Knoxville, Tenn. on Friday, Aug. 6, 2021.

Ex-Tennessee Football Player, On3 Staffer Accused of Financial Scams

Grant Frerking parted ways with On3 amid “allegations of criminal misconduct.”
Hilary Knight

The PWHL Badly Wants Parity. At What Cost?

The expansion draft has turned Seattle and Vancouver into instant title contenders. 
Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark Likely to Return in Boost for ESPN, WNBA

Clark has missed the past five games due to a quad injury. 

Featured Today

Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
Jan 24, 2017; Davidson, NC, USA; The Davidson Wildcats student section cheers during the first half against the Duquesne Dukes at McKillop Court at John M. Belk Arena. Davidson defeated Duquesne 74-60.
June 6, 2025

Every College Wants a Flashy Basketball GM Hire Right Now

The role is more important than ever, and the definition is ever-evolving.
August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The Goodyear blimp flies over Ohio Stadium during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game between the Akron Zips and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
June 6, 2025

Why the Goodyear Blimp Is at Every Major Sports Event

The airship wasn’t built to cover sports. Now it’s a regular presence.
May 27, 2015; Paris, France; Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) knocks the clay off her shoe during her match against Simona Halep (ROU) on day four of the French Open at Roland Garros
June 4, 2025

Roland-Garros’s Iconic Red-Clay Surface Is a Precise Alchemy

The exact science behind maintaining the French Open’s red clay.
UT

Zakai Zeigler Denied Injunction for Fifth Year at Tennessee

The former Tennessee guard sued the NCAA over potential lost NIL earnings.
Mar 7, 2025; Greenville, SC, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Leilani Kapinus (5) looks to pass against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the second half at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
June 11, 2025

Group of Women Athletes Files Appeal of House v. NCAA Settlement Approval

It’s the first appeal of the landmark settlement, which was approved Friday.
North Dakota Fighting Hawks guard Zach Kraft (1) shoots the ball on Friday, March 7, 2025, at Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.
June 12, 2025

House v. NCAA Settlement Is Here. Non-Power Conference Schools Still Have Questions

D-I administrators still have questions they haven’t gotten answered.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
Ohio State
June 10, 2025

Men’s College Basketball Adds Coach’s Challenge, but No Quarters—Yet

The NBA adopted the challenge rule before the 2019–20 season. 
U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) asks a question during at a House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education hearing on antisemitism in K-12 schools on May 8, 2024 in Washington.
June 10, 2025

House Reps Introduce Two Drafts of Pro-NCAA College Sports Legislation

Both bills would satisfy the NCAA and power conferences’ congressional wishlist.
Angela Suggs
June 10, 2025

Florida A&M Athletic Director Arrested For Credit Card Fraud 

Angela Suggs turned herself into authorities Monday.
Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Boise State Broncos wide receiver Latrell Caples (3) against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium.
exclusive
June 9, 2025

Boise State Expects Private-Equity Investment ‘Within the Next Six Months’

The Broncos are “actively considering” PE investment.