The change in NIL policy changed the lives of Olivia Dunne and Angel Reese. Back in the day, the NCAA did not allow college athletes to gain monetary profit from NIL deals. But that would change when, in July 2021, the NCAA relaxed its restrictions. This opened an entirely new dimension for NCAA athletes to attain celebrity status.

Olivia Dunne is sitting pretty at the top of the NIL world, reigning as the highest-paid female college athlete with a jaw-dropping $4 million valuation. She’s ranked No. 2 overall on the On3 NIL 100 list, just behind Shedeur Sanders—and yes, she’s the only woman in the top five! With 13.6 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, Livvy’s not just a gymnastics star—she’s a full-on social media sensation.

Her NIL résumé is stacked with major deals, from being an ambassador for Nautica’s women’s sportswear to teaming up with Passes for a multi-million dollar contract. Brands are lining up to get a piece of the LSU gymnast, and with exclusive deals from Leaf Trading Cards and energy drink brand ACCELERATOR, Livvy’s status as a NIL powerhouse is only growing. However, trying to find an NIL deal can be hard at times. While the likes of Reese and Dunne might have reached the pinnacle of financial success, there are athletes struggling to get their hands on a lucrative deal. 

LSU track and field star Alia Armstrong is one such name. Speaking about the hardships of trying to land a NIL deal on ‘The Money Game’, Armstrong said that the process takes quite a mental toll. She opined that being surrounded by business-minded people would make her job all the more easy. Armstrong said, “Like having y’all’s knowledge and presence would be, like, I have business people around me and like, people surrounding me, so it would just feel like someone’s holding my hand, basically. I’m still a kid.”

She also said that having to manage school and track together is itself a mentally tiring job. Thus, according to Armstrong, “Adding another job is crazy. I don’t know what to do with that. And so it’s almost like an additional school instead of like oh yeah it’s just NIL.” Meanwhile, the LSU athlete is aiming to make it big in the track and field realm. Specializing in the 100 mH category, Armstrong emerged victorious in the 2022 NCAA outdoor championship in Eugene.

She then took her good form to the USATF Championship, where she finished third. Armstrong made her USA debut at the World Athletics Meet in the same year, making it to the semis. Thus, when an athlete of such a caliber struggles to find a NIL deal, doubts on how exactly the system works come up heavily. 

Alia Armstrong details how she felt ‘underlooked’ 

The NIL was supposed to change the lives of college athletes by providing them with ample monetary support. However, according to a survey from Sportsbusinessjournal.com, only 17% of the NCAA athletes landed with a NIL deal. Unfortunately, Armstrong was part of the 63% of the athletes who could not manage to get a brand to approach them. 

Detailing how the ignorance affected her, Armstrong stated, “When NIL first came about, I had no idea of what to do. I just think I was just kind of underlooked. And so I just really wanted to understand why I wasn’t getting these big-name brands, and I was struggling at the time.”

Frustrated by the proceedings, Armstrong reached out to NIL executives Marie-Claire and Taylor to narrate her experience. Taking her case on priority, both tried helping Armstrong’s case from thereon. Thus, apart from a handful of athletes who have made a fortune from NIL deals, there has been a significant amount of discontent regarding the system. However, while the system is new, it is expected that the implementation will become better with time, making life easier for NCAA athletes in the future. What are your thoughts about Alia Armstrong’s challenges? Share in the comments below!