Name, Image and Likeness and Its Ripple Effects: What the NCAA's Revolution Means for U Sports in Canada
Article Written by Matthew Lloyd
Thumbnail and Banner Photo by: Steve DiMatteo, Unsplash
Effective as of June 2021, the NCAA ruled that players could now profit from their name, image, and likeness, reversing decades of policies that restricted the ability of these athletes to gain financially while competing in “amateur” sport. Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) regulations have transformed the way college sports operate within the NCAA, America’s Collegiate Athletics Association, but the influence of these changes has already begun to affect us here in Canada. With some athletes receiving millions in NIL deals and recent regulatory changes allowing Canadian Hockey League players to play NCAA hockey, even top-level hockey prospects, such as Gavin McKenna, are choosing American programs over traditional established routes. This is all despite having limited access to NIL money as Canadians and other international athletes are unable to promote products within the USA. The question is clear: NIL is certainly empowering athletes in the US like never before, but will it deepen the divide in North American amateur sports to the point that it threatens the entire foundation of U Sports as we know it?
College sports have always been a major component of the athletic world, offering the attractive possibility of continuing to play the sport you love at a higher level while pursuing a degree. This level of sports has always been defined as “amateur sports”. While top athletes often find their way into the proleagues after playing in the amateur level, players were previously restricted from financially benefiting during their time as students. This had long been a point of aggravation for NCAA athletes, with Reggie Bush being a prime example. These gripes hit home more for those starring in sports that generate extraordinary revenues from their performances, such as FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) Football, Division 1 Basketball, and the growing success of Division 1 Hockey. FBS Football remains the biggest cash cow of them all, with the Texas Longhorns generating an average of $183 million per year from their Football team alone over the previous three years. Before the 2021 ruling, athletes were subject to incredibly strict regulations that prevented them from earning money in any way; I can personally attest to this from my experience attending a Clemson Football tailgate and game in 2018. Stories were shared about Clemson players offering to mow locals’ lawns for even below minimum wage rates, only to be suspended for multiple games due to “profiting off their NIL,” making it so that these athletes had less opportunity to gain financially than even regular students working part-time jobs.
With the passage of NIL regulations in 2021, athletes can now earn substantial paychecks that were previously prohibited. For instance, Cooper Flagg, the 2025 NBA Draft’s 1st overall pick, earned 28 million dollars in NIL deals last year. AJ Dybantsa, projected to be selected first in the 2026 NBA Draft, received a 5 million dollar commitment from BYU, totaling nearly 7 million dollars in deals before even playing for the school. However, these standout figures can be misleading when considering the experience of most athletes. For the majority, the average NIL deal remains at roughly 2,716 dollars, with the true median at a shocking 62 dollars, highlighting a stark contrast between a few high-profile earners and the broader athlete population. While most NIL money is allocated to revenue-generating sports and top athletes, there are a few notable exceptions.
Livvy Dunne, a gymnast for the LSU gymnastics team, brought a sizable social media following with her commitment to the school, now totaling over 13 million followers across Instagram and TikTok. This massive following has directly led to her becoming the #1 ranked women’s athlete in terms of NIL money, with her endorsements valued at a whopping 4.1 million dollars despite not quite being at the upper echelon of talent in her sport. These large sums of cash are reshaping the “amateur” sporting landscape, with their impact already being felt in Canadian amateur sports.
In tandem with the new NIL regulations introduced a few years ago, the CHL and NCAA recently lifted the longstanding ban on former CHL players participating in NCAA programs, transforming a previously closed door into a wide-open opportunity. With the new regulations taking effect in the coming 2025-26 season, some general managers (GMs) of CHL teams, such as Mark Hunter of the London Knights, are becoming concerned. The CHL has long been the main pipeline for future NHL talent, but with the prospect of making money while also obtaining an education in the US being touted, the very best of the league seem to be making the jump together, including the presumptive #1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, Gavin McKenna . All of this is happening while a major roadblock still exists with NIL opportunities for foreign athletes (such as Canadians), as athletes under a foreign student visa cannot earn money from their NIL in the U.S. If these restrictions were lifted, the damage to our Canadian Universities' athletics could be extensive.
While it is important to note the major win that NIL is for athletes in the NCAA, the feasibility of implementing a similar system here in Canada for U Sports is not on the table. Events such as March Madness, Bowl games for FBS Football, and even some regular-season games bring in revenue that many programs would not dream of for entire fiscal years, as amateur sports are simply not at the same magnitude here in Canada. An example of this is the yearly Rose Bowl FBS Football game, which in January of 2024 “injected $245 million of economic impact into the greater Los Angeles area”. This means that if the NCAA were to allow athletes on foreign student visas to earn money from their NIL in the United States, U Sports would not be able to offer anywhere near the same potential earnings, or any at all, under the current model.
There are, of course, reasons why existing regulations before 2021 were so strict on athletes. Involving money in the equation does take away from the true “amateur” level, as when cash rules all, talent is gathered by the richest, and equality erodes. Schools that have not adapted to the changing ways of NIL and the recently introduced transfer portal by throwing massive sums of money at talent are being left behind, with only the richest schools attracting the best talent at a rate greater than ever. This has amounted to a “College Free Agency” of sorts, with as many as 5.9% of Division 1 football players searching for a new 2025 home, one that could bring greater financial compensation. The further monetization and freedom afforded to these players have been life changing, but has removed much of the earlier defined definition of "amateur sport” from the NCAA. While money invested in facilities and other perks has always influenced player decisions prior to 2021 in the NCAA, NIL has elevated this talent concentration to a new level. U Sports, on the contrary, has enjoyed a greater level of parity. While the best athletes still attend the most respected programs, money is not a primary factor, aside from scholarships being offered. You see this in the banners in gyms, rinks, fields, and more across the Maritimes, based on my own experience. With the U Sports system, schools across the country can develop talent, grow, and reach the top together without relying on lavish spending or a dedicated transfer portal within the nation. U Sports may need to continue working to establish its niche as amateur, university-level sports with parity and fair competition at its core.
The 2021 regulations introduced on NIL were necessary but have certainly brought about some complex and yet-to-be-fully-understood ramifications for both those in the NCAA and in Canada. Athletes in the NCAA deserve financial benefits for the proceeds they generate for their programs and the impact they make, but in its current form, NIL neglects to bring equity to the amateur sporting world, instead fueling greater inequality. Canadian athletics institutions must come together to decide how they want to position themselves against the growing allurement of the NCAA’s athletic level and compensation, or they may risk losing the athletes that form the foundation of U Sports today.