• Loading stock data...
Friday, July 18, 2025

Getting Their Payday

  • Until July, it’ll be unclear whether a gender pay gap will appear in college sports like it has in the pros.
  • But if it does manifest, experts have a few ideas about how to mitigate it.
Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY/Design: Alex Brooks

Until July, it’ll be unclear whether a gender pay gap will appear in college sports like it has in the pros.

But if it does manifest, experts have a few ideas about how to mitigate it.

Potential Solutions

College athlete NIL is a completely new market, where experts still don’t have a concrete formula for valuations, Lebel said. It may be useful for athletic departments to “establish benchmark prices” for NIL deals to treat men’s and women’s sports athletes equally.

“If it’s just an open market, that scares me a little bit,” Lebel said. 

Some NIL supporters, however, have advocated for as little athletic department or NCAA intervention as possible.

NIL companies can help too, by incentivizing companies to partner with women’s sports athletes. Icon Source, an NIL marketplace, recently launched a campaign in which they wouldn’t charge fees for the first 50 companies that agreed to sign deals with female athletes for at least $10,000.

Educating athletes — particularly in women’s sports — about their potential NIL value is also key. American ski jumper Sarah Hendrickson, now a spokesperson for the Icon Source initiative, told FOS that even she didn’t realize her potential worth until one brand wanted to work with her because of her “story” in particular.

Now, she’s reaching out to women’s sports athletes to start making money. 

Power of Gen Z

Despite the potential issues, Lebel sees one factor to fight the gender pay gap from the start: Gen Z. 

The new generation of athletes are particularly savvy with building their own brands, especially on social media, Lebel said. And that bodes well for their NIL potential, given that there’s a shift to valuing sports through digital metrics rather than linear TV metrics.

Lebel also thinks that if Sedona Prince’s viral TikTok showed us anything, it’s that Gen Z college athletes aren’t scared to expose inequity publicly. If a company paid men’s sports athletes more for a similar deal, Lebel believes these athletes would find out and let the world know.

“For a really long time in women’s sports, women athletes were groomed just to be grateful for any opportunity that they got,” Lebel said. “That’s not good enough anymore.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

(NCL_OSU_11_SUGAR_LAURON 04JAN11) Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor (2) slips around the Arkansas Razorbacks defense during first half of the Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, January 4, 2011.

Terrelle Pryor’s Case for NIL Backpay Dismissed in Court

Pryor played seven years in the NFL after leaving OSU amid a scandal.
Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian waits to lead his team out of the tunnel ahead of the Longhorns' game against the Baylor Bears, Saturday, Sept. 23 at McLane Stadium in Waco.

Is a Texas Takeover About to Hit the SEC, On and Off..

The Longhorns are favored to win the SEC in their second year in the conference.
Jul 9, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Head coaches Willie Fritz of Houston, Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State, Rich Rodriguez of West Virginia, Lance Leipold of Kansas, Sonny Dykes of TCU, Kyle Whittingham of Utah, Brent Brennan of Arizona and Deion Sanders of Colorado all sit on stage for a Coaches Roundtable during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star.

Big 12 Commish: Conference Is ‘All In’ on International Expansion

The conference had once planned a large initiative in Mexico.

Featured Today

Jul 21, 2024; Ayrshire, SCT; Xander Schauffele celebrates with Claret Jug after winning the Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Troon.

The Boozy History and Traditions of The Open’s Claret Jug

The Open awards the world’s most famous wine decanter.
2025 PDC World Darts Championship Final - Luke Littler vs Michael Van Gerwen
July 16, 2025

A Teen Darts Prodigy Is Becoming Bigger Than the Game Itself

Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler is cashing in on his devastatingly accurate shot.
May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive
July 13, 2025

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.
July 12, 2025

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Mar 21, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Memphis Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway walks off the court after losing to Colorado State Rams at Climate Pledge Arena.

Memphis Basketball and Softball Placed on NCAA Probation

Memphis has had multiple NCAA issues since hiring Penny Hardaway.
July 16, 2025

Alabama’s New Era Contends With NIL—and Nick Saban Rumors

Kalen DeBoer is entering his second season as head coach.
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.
July 16, 2025

President Trump Is Actively Working on an NIL-Related Executive Order

It’s unclear what the executive order would include.
Sponsored

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

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Georgia takes the field for the first half of the SEC championship game against Texas in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
July 15, 2025

SEC Lands Starring Role in Netflix College Football Docuseries

Netflix brings its sports storytelling to the heart of SEC football.
May 15, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; United States Capitol seen as People rally outside the Supreme Court before justices hears oral arguments in Trump v. CASA, Inc. At issue in the case is if the Supreme Court should stay the district courts' nationwide preliminary injunctions on the Trump administration’s executive order ending birthright citizenship.
July 15, 2025

Pro-NCAA Bill Takes First Step Toward Being Introduced on House Floor for..

It could be the first bill of its kind to make it to the House floor.
July 15, 2025

Georgia’s Kirby Smart Says Money Is Making Players Too Comfortable

The football coach is concerned about the revenue-sharing era.
July 14, 2025

Lane Kiffin: ‘Doesn’t Seem’ Like CFB Revenue-Sharing Cap Works Very Well

The outspoken Ole Miss football coach isn’t impressed with revenue-sharing guidelines.