Kansas NIL deals surpass 200, valued at $380,000

In July of 2021 NIL became legal in several states, with differing rules. At that point, the NCAA relented and allowed student-athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness. Since then, there have been numerous deals made at institutions around the country, including Kansas.

According to public records requests made by The Topeka Capital-Journal, there have been more than 200 individual agreements made by Kansas athletes since July of 2021. The Capital-Journal reported 219 NIL deals have been detailed, with a total value of $380,915.01. That means the average value of a NIL deal for a Kansas athlete is $1,739.34.

“I think it’s … something athletes have deserved for a long time,” Jalen Wilson, a KU men’s basketball star, told the Capital-Journal. “People don’t really understand that student-athletes go through a lot and we have to live the varied life that a normal student lives and also play sports.”

The more than 200 individual agreements don’t mean that more than 200 Kansas student-athletes have NIL deals of some kind. For example, one athlete may have signed multiple agreements. So, it’s difficult to say what the distribution of deals is like. In February, Kansas athletic director Travis Goff said around 90 athletes had made around 170 deals. At that time, it was reported the amount made was approaching $500,000. However, that contradicts the public records request made by The Topeka-Capital Journal three months later.

The vast majority of NIL deals are for less than $1,000, the Capital-Journal reported. Only nine deals in the first 10 months of NIL at Kansas have been for more than $10,000. The largest of those deals was $25,000, which skews the average price of a NIL deal. Some deals are as low as $30 for an Instagram post about a company, the Capital-Journal reported.

Value of Kansas Jayhawk athlete

One athlete’s NIL value isn’t equal to another. There are numerous circumstances, including an athlete’s social media presence, their on-field performance, and future opportunities that factor into their value. The On3 NIL Valuation attempts to set a fair market value for football and basketball players in the NIL era.

Wilson has a $74,000 On3 NIL Valuation. That includes an increase during Kansas basketball’s March Madness run in 2022. He’s not alone. David McCormick was a key player on that national championship team. His On3 NIL Valuation is $39,000, including a 20% increase the week Kansas won the national championship.

Basketball players tend to be the top-end of NIL value at Kansas, though. Non-revenue athletes in sports like gymnastics and volleyball are traditionally worth much less while putting tons of time and energy into their sport.