Being an athlete in college comes with so much popularity. This popularity earns the athlete some level of respect, honor, and privilege. When this happens, the athlete is bestowed with the power to do certain things. Here we will see about Can College Athletes Get Paid For Autographs?
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), under the Name Image and Likeness (NIL) deal, have officially permitted college athletes to sell the rights to their Names, Images, and Likeness. This has shown to be a radical shift from the NCAA’s conception of college athletes as amateurs.
How College Athletes Make Make Money Paid From Their Autographs
College athletes do not receive incentives from the colleges they represent. For a long time, they were regarded as amateurs who are using their sporting activities in college as a form of long-term training.
However, as time went on, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) relaxed its total ban on college athletes getting any form of incentives. The directors of the National Collegiate Athletic Association approved the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal, which permits college athletes to make money from signing autographs and selling or signing their personalized merchandise.
There are several ways in which college athletes make money paid from their autographs. Two such ways of include:
I) Contracted by business owners
II) Individually attaching a fee to their autographs
Contracted By Business Owners
An average entrepreneur thinks of ways to accelerate his profit-making tactics. One way to achieve this is by creating a platform where potential customers get to see some of their favorite people conscious of their presence. This is why many business owners go as far as inviting a famous personality, whom the people love, to give out his or her autograph in return for some payment.
A college athlete can be this famous person. For instance, a college athlete who has represented his/her school at both national and international levels has gained a level of popularity, love, and respect among many people in his state or local community. Anywhere the athlete goes, he receives a good amount of cheers from people. If such an individual can be invited to a business fun fair, people will turn out in large numbers, and in turn, the athlete will get to be paid a good amount of money, after all, he had played his part in promoting a business brand.
Individually Attaching A Fee To Their Autographs
Many popular personalities are sometimes forced to attach a price tag to their autographs because some opportunists get them only to sell them and make profits. So, to scare off the opportunists who are no real fans of theirs, they put prices on their autographs since their real fans wouldn’t mind.
College athletes can also attach price tags to their autographs, whether it is to scare off opportunists, or for their financial gain. Since they have been allowed to use their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) to generate income for themselves by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), then, monetizing their autographs is one way they can achieve this.
Why Some Have Taken The Name Image and Likeness (NIL) Deal To Be A Bad Idea
The Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal have been discouraged by some individuals based on the following reasons:
I) Lawyers taking the case further
II) Athletes losing the spirit of sport
Lawyers Taking The Case Further
Lawyers, in a bid to prove the rights of these athletes, might decide to, based on the NIL deal, bring up cases that seem to not be in favor of the athlete. For instance, they might start demanding that college athletes start getting paid by this school, as though they were proper school staff.
Athletes Losing The Spirit Of Sport
This happens when athletes are promised some kinds of incentives based on their skill level, but only if they could represent another college in a particular sport which would expose them to more popularity. When this happens, the loyalty of the athletes is divided. They are torn between respecting the trust their colleges have for them and making more money. When this happens, the beauty of the game leaves their minds, and they probably would not enjoy the sports they are into anymore, because their minds have been clouded with the concerns of loyalty and money.
From the aforementioned, it can be deduced that college athletes need to look beyond the right that has been conferred on them. The right that now enables them to make money through their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). They should not deviate from the initial discipline, passion, and consistency they have always had towards their college sports, that is, they should be able to manage some of the challenges that might come with monetizing their talents.
Conclusion
College athletes deserve this opportunity that has been given to them by the NCAA. It is a way of compensating them for being an asset to the school through legal sporting activities. Also, aside from being a source of motivation for them, the NIL deal aids college athletes in generating income.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Are college athletes often paid by the school management?
Answer
No, they are not. The privilege they get for now is the NIL deal.
2) Is it okay for college athletes to put their interests before the college tea
