Ever since NCAA implemented its latest name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal — which allows college athletes to be paid — it’s been a brave new world. And because of this deal, college athletes now stand to make money for their use in promotional materials, as well as through more personal deals such as endorsements or special appearances. With the reintroduction of college sports video games — namely College Football 25 last year — college athletes will surely want a slice of the gigantic pie that EA Sports has created. And now, a new NIL deal put forth to these athletes seems to be the first step in such slices being distributed.
As originally reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel (h/t SI.com), over 450 college football players have signed NIL deals with Pathway Sports and Entertainment, a company with the express purpose of ensuring monetary compensation for college athletes. These newly signed athletes are said to primarily (if not exclusively) make up those playing at Alabama, Georgia, Oregon, Illinois, Texas Tech, and Wisconsin.
As part of this new deal, athletes will receive a flat up-front payment of $1,500 dollars to have their likenesses be featured in video games. This new deal also includes royalty payments, but it’s unclear what percentages college athletes will receive for their involvement. According to Yahoo Sports, the finer details of royalty payments such as structure have yet to be finalized and are still being negotiated.
Overall, this new licensing agreement — should it apply to all licensed schools in the College Football game — will cost EA Sports over $20 million dollars up front, not including whatever percentage is included as part of the royalties.
As a proponent of being paid what your worth, I’m an ardent supporter of this new deal and am happy to see college athletes getting at least something for their names and likenesses in such a popular game. Obviously, this deal will likely change and evolve as years go by. But it’s a good start.
Published: Feb 14, 2025 12:02 pm