The Effect of Name, Image, and Likeness on HBCUs and HBCU Student Athletes
On July 1, 2021, the NCAA made the decision to grant student athletes the right to monetize their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) — a decision that created a new industry, new marketing opportunities, and new legal agreements to navigate. NIL, sometimes referred to as “the ultimate equalizer,” is a legal concept referring to an individual’s “right of publicity,” that is an individual’s ability to capitalize on anything that identifies them.
For years, top non-HBCUs have been profiting from the Black talent on their teams. With HBCUs low on the college sports money totem-pole, it’s no surprise the NIL spotlight has been primarily on student-athletes at the schools in the large, wealthy Power Five conferences. However, with Deion Sanders having fueled the rise of HBCUs, black student-athletes are seeking opportunities to take full advantage of the financial benefits of NIL deals. 
While HBCU athletic programs are woefully underfunded compared to their predominantly white institution counterparts, young black athletes are quickly realizing they can make a difference. Through NIL deals, young HBCU student-athletes can help bolster their respective institutions, while reaping the benefits of being at places where they’re seen, valued and nurtured as full human beings not replaceable field hands. With NCAA’s NIL law passage, Black student-athletes sole function doesn’t have to be keeping money flowing into the pockets of white coaches, who smile in the faces of their families during recruiting but disparage them behind closed doors. NIL deals among Black student-athletes who choose to attend HBCUs are likely to reengage alumni, and encourage others unfamiliar to invest in both the institution’s student-athletes, and the institution itself.