Build your NIL career with confidence.
Clear, practical guides for athletes and families—from understanding the rules to finding, pitching, and closing sponsorship opportunities.
How NIL Works: A Plain-English Guide for Athletes and Parents
NIL lets athletes get paid for their name, image and likeness. Here's how deals work, who's eligible, how athletes get paid, and what the current rules require.
NIL guideNIL Deals: Types, Pay, and How Athletes Get Them
What NIL deals are, the six main types, what they typically pay, who qualifies, and how athletes find them. A plain overview for athletes and parents.
NIL guideHow to Get an NIL Deal: 6 Steps That Actually Work
Most athletes get their first NIL deal by asking for it. Here are the six steps, what to say, what to charge, and the mistakes that cost athletes deals.
NIL guideNIL Brand Deals: How They Work and What Brands Look For
How NIL brand deals are structured, what brands evaluate before signing an athlete, how deals are priced, and the contract terms athletes should read closely.
Complete guideHow to Get Sponsored as an Athlete: The Complete Playbook
A step-by-step guide to getting sponsored as an athlete at any level, including what sponsors want, how to price yourself, and what to say in your first message.
NIL guideNIL Opportunities for Athletes: 12 Types and Where to Find Them
Twelve types of NIL opportunities athletes can pursue, sorted by how much audience they require, plus where each one is actually found.
NIL guideNIL Sponsorships: How They Work and What They're Worth
How NIL sponsorships work, how they differ from NIL partnerships and brand deals, what they typically include, and how athletes price and land them.
NIL guideAthlete Sponsorships: Types, Value, and Who's Actually Buying
The main types of athlete sponsorship, what each is worth, which businesses actually sponsor athletes, and how sponsorship differs by level of competition.
NIL guideHow to Become an Athlete Influencer (Without a Huge Following)
What an athlete influencer actually is, why engagement beats follower count for most deals, and a practical path to building an audience brands want to reach.
NIL guideSocial Media for Athletes: What to Post to Attract Brand Deals
A practical guide to social media for athletes — what to post, how often, how to set up your profile so brands take you seriously, and what to avoid.
NIL guideNIL Education: What Schools Should Be Teaching Athletes
What belongs in an NIL education program, why compliance training alone falls short, and how schools and athletic departments can build curriculum that athletes use.
NIL guideNIL Contracts: What's In One and Which Clauses Matter
A clause-by-clause guide to NIL contracts — deliverables, exclusivity, usage rights, revisions, termination, and payment terms — and the red flags to catch before signing.
NIL guideNIL Taxes: What Athletes Owe and How to Prepare
How NIL income is taxed, why nothing is withheld from your payments, what counts as taxable, and how athletes should set money aside and keep records.
NIL guideNIL for High School Athletes: Rules, Limits, and How to Start
How high school NIL works, why the rules differ by state, what's usually prohibited everywhere, and what athletes and parents should do before signing anything.
NIL guideNIL Collectives: What They Are and How the Rules Changed
What NIL collectives are, how the House settlement changed their role, the 2025 guidance reversal, and what athletes should understand about collective money now.
NIL guideAthlete Sponsorship Proposal: What to Include and How to Send It
What goes in a one-page athlete sponsorship proposal, how to build tiers a business will actually say yes to, and what to write in the message that sends it.
NIL guideHow Schools Can Fund NIL and Career Readiness Programs With Perkins V
Perkins V puts roughly $1.4 billion a year into career and technical education. Here's how the money flows to districts and what it can fund.
NIL guideHow to Raise Money for Club Sports Without Selling Candy Bars
Most team fundraising asks families to sell things nobody wants. Here's a different approach, and a real example of an athlete who raised more than triple her requirement.
Interactive toolLocal Athlete Sponsorship Calculator
Enter your ZIP code to see verified businesses and higher-readiness sponsorship prospects within 5, 10, and 25 miles.