NCAA football was changed forever with the introduction of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rules. Players now have an opportunity to earn compensation as part of an enterprise that wouldn’t make money without them, but money has become one of the central factors in recruiting, roster retention, and even NFL decisions.
Because of its growing importance, NIL has become centralized. NIL collectives have sprouted up around almost every major Division-1 athletic department.
These collectives have offered donors and sponsors the opportunity to contribute to their favorite teams and players by allowing them to pay the collective so that the collective can facilitate deals with the players for the use of their names, images, and likenesses.