• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
The Best Employers in Sports survey is open through Nov. 6 Learn More

Marketplace for Athletes

  • When name, image, and likeness rules take effect, NCAA athletes will be able to mint NFTs while they’re still playing.
  • NAIA athletes could even mint them now.
Photo: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY/Design: Alex Brooks

Luka Garza and Jalen Suggs were able to sell NFTs because they’ve both declared for the NBA draft and won’t return to the NCAA.

But when name, image, and likeness rules take effect, NCAA athletes will be able to mint NFTs while they’re still playing. NAIA athletes can even mint them now.

‘Wide Open’ Possibilities

Ahmad Elhawli, the founder of NIL platform Sportsfinda, recently announced the company has created an NFT marketplace for college athletes that will launch when NIL rules take effect.

“From what we’re seeing at the moment, the market is wide open,” Elhawli told FOS.

Like Garza and Suggs did, college athletes could sell artwork of themselves that commemorate their accomplishments.

Elhawli also believes that selling one-on-one meetings or other community-building “experiences” is “becoming a key point in the whole transaction.”

Part of Garza’s NFT, for example, is a chance for the owner to have dinner and a meditation session with him, play him in a game of HORSE, and receive lifetime access to his basketball camps. 

And, of course, athletes could profit from their own social media posts. If a “regular” person can sell tweets for $500, Elhawli said, imagine how much a prominent college athlete could make.

Women’s Sports Opportunities

Women’s sports athletes “will be the biggest winners in this game,” Elhawli said.

Just as they’re projected to make substantial profit on regular NIL opportunities, they’ll benefit greatly from selling NFTs.

Oregon forward Sedona Prince could sell the viral TikTok exposing the differences between the men’s and women’s weight rooms, Elhawli said. The video would be valuable because of its historic significance and popularity.

Rights Complications

NIL laws will probably impose new restrictions on how athletic departments can use athletes’ likenesses in their NFTs.

And NFTs that athletes create may not include things like highlight reels if they don’t get group licensing rights.

“It’s like the wild west,” Schauder said.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Apr 1, 2024; Portland, OR, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) drives to the basket during the second half against UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) in the finals of the Portland Regional of the NCAA Tournament at the Moda Center.

Women’s College Basketball Begins Its Star-Studded Post–Caitlin Clark Era

Women outdrew the men in the championship with 18.9 million viewers.
Eastern New Mexico forward Jose Murillo (33) passes the ball between Grand Canyon University forward Sammie Yeanay (23) and guard Makaih Williams (2) during an exhibition game at Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix on Oct. 29, 2024.

Grand Canyon University to Join Mountain West in 2026

The Mountain West has added three new schools after the Pac-12 poached five from the conference.

Olympic Sport College Coaches Hire Lobbyists Amid NCAA Upheaval

The NCAA and power conferences have spent millions on an effort to preserve amateurism.
Oct 19, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) shakes hands while entering the locker room after a game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

NIL Director Is the Trendy New Job in College Sports. But the Role Is Chaos

Athletic departments nationwide are hiring for what’s become their most important position.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

NFL Teams Face Crossroads at Season’s Halfway Point

0:00

Featured Today

NFL Center Connor McGovern Is the Heir to a Potato Empire

The NFL vet’s family provides potatoes for McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and others.
Vanderbilt Commodores fans head to the south end zone as the goal post is taken down by exuberant fans after beating No. 1 Alabama 40-35 at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.
opinion
November 2, 2024

Something New in College Football This Year: Parity

Upsets, surprises. CFB is more fun on the field than the NFL.
Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump waves flanked by former Georgia Bulldogs player Herschel Walker, recording art Kid Rock, professional golfer John Daily, Alabama senators Tommy Tuberville (R) and Katie Britt (R) during the second half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
November 1, 2024

Mission Swing State: College Football’s Political Advertising Battle

Trump, Harris, and the PACs that support them are utilizing the sport.
October 31, 2024

The Untapped Revenue ‘Powder Keg’ of Women’s NFL Fandom

There’s a “boatload” of money at stake for brands and the league.

New Era, New Chaos? New CFP Team Rankings Explained

The new College Football Playoff system’s complexities might confuse some college football fans.
Donald Trump
November 4, 2024

ESPN Will Drop First 12-Team CFP Rankings in Heart of Election Night

The network traditionally hasn’t shied away from going up against election coverage.
Oct 4, 2024; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) is introduced to the fans during Countdown to Craziness at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
November 4, 2024

All Eyes on Cooper Flagg As College Basketball Tips Off

He makes his NCAA debut with Duke on Monday.
Sponsored

World Series Delivers High-Demand Marquee Matchup

The hype around the World Series matchup drove ticket prices to record levels—but the Dodgers’ dominance quickly quieted the fervor.
The Fox Big Noon Kickoff crew broadcasts from the endzone prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
October 31, 2024

ESPN-Fox Pregame Battle in Focus at Ohio State–Penn State

Fox has the game broadcast at noon ET.
October 28, 2024

College Football Playoff Expansion Already Heating Up Off-Field Drama

ESPN’s and Fox’s rival pregame shows will broadcast from the same campus.
October 25, 2024

College Coaching Legends Say Their Players Are Professionals

More and more coaches admit they see their players as pros.
Oct 19, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) throws the ball during the second half against the UCLA Bruins at SHI Stadium.
October 24, 2024

CFB Fans Can Thank Fox, World Series for 11 p.m. Rutgers Game

Fox has aired five Friday night college football games so far this season.