NIL remains broadly popular, but some have worries about the future of college athletics

The landscape of college athletics has changed dramatically in recent years driven by the introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights for athletes in 2021 and the rollout of athlete revenue sharing this year.

Amid these changes, new Ipsos data finds that Americans strongly support student-athletes getting paid. However, the seismic shifts in the landscape of college athletics over the past five years have not come without concerns. There’s a growing sense among Americans that college athletics today are just about making money and many fans worry about the loss of tradition and pageantry in college sports.

Below are five charts on the how Americans view the recent changes in college athletics.

1. NIL largely seen as having a positive impact on college athletics. For most Americans, ensuring players are fairly compensated trumps concerns about competitive balance, something that has held consistent over the past 3 years.
2. Beyond NIL, majority also support revenue sharing. The House v. NCAA lawsuit was decided this past June, resulting in the landmark decision to allow universities to directly pay athletes. Support for this decision outweighs opposition by more than three to one, with majority support across most demographic groups.
3. Americans want increased transparency for NIL deals. Beyond allowing student-athletes to get paid, House v. NCAA also required student-athletes to report third-party deals valued at $600 or more. Americans show broad support for this ruling.
4. Most agree colleges should offer athletes NIL guidance. Consistent since 2023, a majority of Americans and sports fans agree that colleges should offer resources and guidance to athletes navigating business ventures through NIL.
5. All about the money? While there is broad support for NIL and revenue sharing, Americans still have concerns about the future of college athletics. A majority believe it is just about making money now, and a plurality say college athletics is losing too much of its tradition and pageantry. In the same vein, more oppose than support college athletes having no limit on the number of times they can transfer.

It’s clear that Americans support college athletes making money. However, there are some cracks in the foundation. There’s a growing sense that college sports are now just about making money and that college athletics is losing too much of its tradition. The findings suggest that increasing transparency and maintaining some long-standing traditions are important steps to ensure that Americans maintain their trust in and engagement with college athletics as this new era matures.