The NIL Illusion: How Artificial Market Values Are Distorting College Football’s Future
When the NCAA finally opened the door to Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) compensation in 2021, it didn’t just change college sports — it commercialized amateurism. Almost overnight, elite high school prospects and top collegiate athletes began signing endorsement deals, creating personal brands, and making serious money. But with this new gold rush came a new problem: market distortion fueled by unverifiable NIL valuations. Today, the NIL landscape is more Wall Street than weight room. And nowhere is this more apparent than in the highly visible — and increasingly controversial — case of Nico Iamaleava, the former five-star quarterback at Tennessee whose NIL deal reportedly exceeded $8 million. Now transferring to UCLA, Iamaleava has become the poster child of a growing concern: what happens when fictional figures drive real decisions?
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