Why the NIL Era Demands a New Kind of Preparation

The NCAA’s recent settlement authorizing direct payments to college athletes is historic. It’s a long-overdue acknowledgment that the players who generate billions in revenue deserve a meaningful share of the value they help create. This is an important victory—but it’s far from complete.

The flow of money has changed. The systems around that money haven’t.

There’s still no consistent infrastructure, no universal onboarding, no shared playbook to help athletes navigate the pressures, opportunities, and complexity that come with this new era.

We’ve changed the rules of the game without preparing anyone to play it.

The Real Risk: Earning Without Support

The risks athletes face in the NIL era aren’t new—but they’re showing up earlier and with more intensity.

Today, high schoolers are being recruited not just on talent, but on their marketability. Teenagers are being asked to weigh school fit, family dynamics, social pressure, and business opportunity—all while still figuring out who they are. And often, they’re being asked to do it with little to no guidance from the very institutions profiting from their decisions.

This isn’t a discipline problem. It’s a design problem.

When young athletes make short-term decisions that don’t serve them long-term, it’s not a character flaw. It’s a reflection of the environment around them—one that rewards athletic performance but ignores holistic preparation.

For many of these athletes, this isn’t just about personal success—it’s about shifting the trajectory for their entire family. The pressure to “get it right” isn’t just internal. It’s generational. Without proper support, a single short-term decision—like a poorly structured NIL deal or an early transfer—can compromise future opportunities, eligibility, or long-term brand equity.

For institutions, these are business decisions. For athletes, they’re identity-shaping moments.

Colleges, collectives, brands, and governing bodies have created a marketplace—but they’ve failed to build the scaffolding that helps athletes thrive inside it. The pressure to monetize has outpaced the tools to do so responsibly.

The Key: Leadership and Literacy

Financial literacy programs and education modules are important—but they’re not enough.

Athletes don’t just need to know how to budget. They need help developing a financial identity. They need context to evaluate deals, clarity around their long-term goals, and frameworks for making decisions under pressure.

These aren’t soft skills—they’re survival skills. And they don’t get built through lectures or compliance slide decks. They get built through mentorship, modeling, and real-time coaching.

A financial identity isn’t about knowing every answer—it’s about knowing what questions to ask.

• What does this opportunity cost me?

• Does it align with what I want long-term?

• Can I sustain this pace and pressure?

These are leadership questions. They create space between impulse and intention—and that space is where power lives.

Empowerment without preparation isn’t progress—it’s pressure.

During my time developing executive education programs for pro athletes, I saw firsthand how transformational it can be when someone creates space for athletes to lead their own financial journey.

When we stop talking at athletes and start building with them, everything changes. That kind of transformation shouldn’t be reserved for the pros. The earlier these identities are formed, the more athletes are empowered to build successful habits that create long-term success.

Responsibility Starts at the Top

If we’re going to celebrate this era of athlete empowerment, we have to get honest about what’s missing.

The current system outsources responsibility to the athlete. We tell them they’re CEOs now—but we don’t give them the infrastructure of a company. We hand them brand deals—but we don’t provide legal support. We applaud their earning potential—but we don’t prepare them for the inevitable learning curve.

The onus shouldn’t be on the 19-year-old to self-educate while performing at the highest levels of competition.

It should be on the adults in the room—the institutions, leagues, agencies, and educators—to ensure that compensation comes with capacity. That access comes with alignment. That influence comes with infrastructure.

I’ve seen the traps firsthand. Athletes don’t always get caught up because they’re reckless. Sometimes they just don’t have the lens to evaluate what was being offered. And by the time the fallout hits, the opportunity (and the opportunists) have moved on and the athlete is left cleaning up the pieces alone.

Because if we don’t build it with them, we’re setting them up to repeat the same mistakes the last generation made—only faster, and in public.

Closing Thoughts

The NIL settlement is a moment worth celebrating. But don’t let compensation be confused for completion.

If we truly care about athlete empowerment, it’s time for the adults to evolve our role—from gatekeepers to guides. From recruiters to real partners.

The answer isn’t asking young athletes to be better prepared. It’s building systems that prepare them better.

The scoreboard may have changed. But until the system around the athlete changes with it, the wins won’t have the long-term impact that reflects the potential of this seismic shift.

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