NIL Goldmine for Angel Reese and Olivia Dunne While Majority of College Athletes Get Left Behind: Ex-NFL QB Highlights Major Drawback

For some, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) is a revolutionary introduction to college football that democratizes the athlete’s revenue resources. But for others, NIL is a tool sparingly used and utilized by a few. NIL can bring drastic changes to how brands view and look to capitalize on college athletes’ popularity and their good looks. But if Josh Booty, who has ridden the fame wave in the NFL and conquered the business world, is to be believed, there are certain pitfalls to it too.

The man himself knows the code inside out. He is the co-founder of Bula app, the world’s “premier Web3 social betting and short-form video community solution” for sports fans and brands to connect. Josh Booty appeared on the EssentiallySports’ Thought Leadership Podcast Series- Think Tank, and we couldn’t expect anything less than ‘legendary takeaways’.

In a freewheeling conversation with our Think Tank host, Trey Holder, the former Cleveland Brown quarterback, who also played college football for Louisiana State University (LSU), shed light on the current vogue of NIL. He diligently pointed to the widening gulf of the money one-star athlete could generate based on multiple factors.

Josh Booty raises the alarm about NIL’s unequal dividends

After squeezing out amusing anecdotes from Booty about his experiences of winning a reality show and returning to sports after 15 years, ES Think Tank host, Trey Holder brought Booty’s attention to the hot topic of NIL. Booty’s nephew, General Booty, had recently started to capitalize on NIL as he became the face of ‘Booty Cream’, and for Booty, NIL was more than a contractual stipulation. While he himself wanted to be in a similar position, he had mixed views about it.

Also, a former MLB third baseman, Josh Booty, broke it down like a pro. He believes there was a disparity between “very great players” such as Kendall Williams, who makes close to $10 million a season, and then “everybody else.” Booty maintained that the other side of the NIL was not as fancy and emancipating as it had been for some. He also believes that some university linemen earned $5000-$20,000 over the entire year.

Booty also drew parallels with the MLB and its transfer window, where he spent close to two years as a third baseman. He argued the NIL produced windfall depending on how “good” one was or whether one had been in the limelight. Booty added, “It’s just how good are you or are you in limelight… How many followers do you have? Can you represent a brand?”

The President of Big Dream Ventures LLC pointed out how some represented brands as they were “good looking” but also could speak and were groomed with a business sense. Eventually, which university they represented also affected their returns from NIL. The Albatross Golf Society founder then listed examples of Olivia Dunne and Angel Reese, who came from the LSU crop of top athletes and reaped benefits.

The sportsperson-turned-investor declared, “Me being a quarterback at a big university, of course, I would have wanted NIL. If you are from Texas or LSU, you are from these big boy schools, you make some money… In NIL, there is prowess [of LSU athletes]. Olivia Dunne, the gymnast, you know, she is one of the top female NIL people in the world. Angel Reese.”

Booty painted a contrasting picture of NIL, which is slowly drastically altering the college football landscape. While very few have been able to make it to the top, others are not so fortunate. We need to rethink and reevaluate how NIL will affect the rug of the athletes who come from not-so-esteemed universities and how NIL might help change their careers for the better.

The three words that have changed the NCAA have allowed college athletes to bag multiple brand deals and sustain themselves, eventually allowing themselves to turn pro early. However, the effect is not uniform, as discussed and detailed by Booty on Think Tank.

WATCH: ES Think Tank’s Exclusive Interview with Mike Sarraille

Think Tank is a premium initiative of EssentiallySports, where we convene the brightest minds to explore strategy, leadership, change, and opportunities in the sports content landscape. Join us for cutting-edge thought leadership from our experts. This is EssentiallySports Think Tank—Where Sports meets Smart Content.

Tune into ES Think Tank on May 28th to watch more amusing insights and anecdotes from Josh Booty!