The landscape of college athletics changed in 2021 when athletes finally became able to profit and receive compensation from their name, image and likeness (NIL). Schools still can’t pay their athletes, but brands and companies can.
With the NIL Era now in its third year, some athletes have leveraged their brands to the tune of millions of dollars. Among amateur athletes that have profited from the ruling, you’ll see trends like famous last names, a male athlete majority (13 of 15) and a preference for football and basketball players (14 of 15). Four colleges – USC, Texas, LSU, Colorado – have multiple athletes listed while just one high schooler made the cut after legislation was passed that allowed high school athletes to profit off NIL as well, although it’s only allowed in certain states.
Here are the 15 highest-paid student-athletes via NIL valuations.
