By Bobby Drexel
College athletics has dramatically changed in the last few years, and the University of Louisville has thrown itself into the heat of the fire.
For decades, college athletes were prohibited from profiting off their athletic fame. Today, athletes across the country can sign sponsorship agreements, sell memorabilia with their name on it and participate in events allowing them to profit from their fame.
Name, image and likeness, also known as NIL, is taking over college sports. And for Louisville, NIL has started to become the backbone for their formidable athletic programs.
Initiatives behind NIL
Universities around the country have created initiatives to help fund their program and aid their athletes in navigating this new era of college sports.
Programs like the 502Circle allow community members to donate money monthly to fund their favorite teams.
502Circle became the official NIL collective of Louisville Athletics in 2023. Collectives have become the backboard for NIL and are an integral way to continue steady growth in the business. It allows for direct connection between fans and athletes.
Additionally, U of L’s own “ELEVATE NIL” program provides businesses with a list of their players and their social media handles to open opportunities related to NIL.
Louisville pushed for expansion of that program, opening “CARDS NIL Exchange,” which is a platform designed to connect student-athletes with potential NIL partners.
The process is relatively simple.
A business who is interested in working with a Louisville athlete can find one who fits their target audience. The two sides can then discuss a potential agreement. If they agree on terms, the athlete completes the required promotional activity and receives the agreed upon compensation.
Often, the activity is as simple as making an Instagram post or TikTok video showcasing an item owned or advertised by the company. Sometimes, more popular athletes make a personal appearance by hosting events at their venue.
U of L has even partnered specifically with Adidas to provide student athletes with opportunities to earn commissions through personalized links connected to Adidas products.
Louisville’s efforts have attracted national attention, winning them NIL Program of the year at Athlete Con in 2025.
Players’ pockets
The opportunities aren’t limited for Louisville’s biggest stars.
Miller Jones, an All-American long jumper on Louisville’s track and field team, spoke to the strengths of NIL.
“The biggest opportunity NIL has opened for me is financial freedom,” he said. Miller says that small deals help pay his rent and work towards being debt-free upon graduation.
Despite the excitement behind NIL, it has its restrictions.
Louisville student athletes must follow university policies as well as NCAA, ACC and Kentucky state laws. Athletes are required to disclose their NIL activities under university policy.
Also, NIL and “revenue sharing” are not the same thing.
NIL allows athletes to earn money through outside opportunities involving their name, image and likeness, such as sponsorships and social media promotions.
Revenue sharing allows universities to directly distribute their athletic revenue to its athletes. For the 2026-27 academic year, athletic programs can pay athletes up to $21.3 million directly across all teams.
While the two systems can work alongside each other, NIL is based on individual opportunities while revenue sharing comes directly from the athletic department.
Learning the business
Education and communication through NIL has become important for athletes like U of L baseball’s pitcher Jack Brown.
“Here at the University of Louisville, we have many people that we can reach out to for assistance on NIL opportunities,” Brown said. “Their job is to assist athletes on responsibly handling NIL opportunities, and they can answer any questions athletes may have.”
NIL doesn’t just create an opportunity for students to make money. It nurtures concepts like managing brands and learning financial responsibility at the college age. These skills are vital long after a college athlete’s career ends.
The NIL era is still relatively young and the rules surrounding college athletics continues to change. For Louisville, NIL is no longer a side story. It has taken college athletics by storm and Louisville continues to be at the forefront of the revolution.
Feature Photo by Vinny Porco / The Louisville Cardinal
