Laura Lingner - Catalyst Performance Methods

This new NIL deal with UConn women’s basketball is getting some attention, and it should.

It’s creative. It’s opening doors. And it’s giving more athletes opportunities to be seen and involved in ways we haven’t seen before.

But here’s the part I keep coming back to.

Just because more opportunities exist doesn’t mean athletes are being shown how to navigate them.

There’s a big difference between being part of something and actually understanding the value of what you’re stepping into.

Are athletes being paid for their time and effort?
Do they understand how their name, image, and likeness are being used?
Do they know how this fits into their future beyond this moment?

Those are the questions that matter.

Because exposure and experience can be valuable, but only if you know how to turn them into something that lasts.

I shared a deeper breakdown of this if you want to understand what’s really happening behind opportunities like this.

A New NIL Model Is Emerging. But We’re Still Missing the Point NIL is evolving fast. Are athletes actually benefiting, or just participating? A closer look at what these new opportunities mean and where the gaps still exist.