Nameimagelikeness era here for NC × some set to cash in
Social media stardom came unexpectedly to Haley and Hanna Cavinder. A way to pass time during the pandemic now has Fresno State’s twin sister basketball stars positioned to be among the most successful collegeathlete entrepreneurs as soon as the rules allow it.
Ohio State lacrosse player Mitchell Pehlke has been cultivating his online following for years. When NCAA athletes are finally able to monetize their fame without compromising their eligibility, Pehlke is ready to restart the business of his brand.
A new era in college sports dawns Thursday when, for the first time, athletes at the highest levels of college sports will be permitted to be compensated for the use of their name, image or likeness. They can earn money based on their celebrity or fame without running afoul NCAA rules.
The transition has been anything but smooth. More than a halfdozen states have laws set to go into effect Thursday designed to open up the market for athletes and bar the NCAA from interfering. The NCAA is on board with the idea of reforming its NIL rules, but change has come slowly and awkwardly. At some point Congress is expected to step in and provide a law that brings uniformity across the country.
Despite the uncertainty, the doors to the college athlete market are about to swing open, and some of them are prepared to cash in immediately.
“I’m going to do as much as I can on that first day and just kind of keep the train going,” said Pehlke, whose =ouTube channel has more than 1,600 subscribers. “But I think right now it’s figuring out what I want to do and then drawing it out with my compliance contact to see if that’s all OK, and then get everything prepared for July 1, and then just hit the ground running.”
The Cavinders are 5foot6 identical twins who posted similar stat lines for Fresno State as sophomores last season. Haley was the Bulldogs’ leading scorer at 19.8 points per game while Hanna averaged 1Ø. Haley was the Mountain West player of the year.
The Cavinders are good enough to think about possible pro careers, but they are also the perfect example of how the NIL market will be a boon for way more than just star quarterbacks and point guards at highprofile schools.
Athletic accomplishment is only a small piece of the puzzle. In a world where anybody with a smartphone can be a content creator, the Cavinders’ TikTok videos that often combine dancing and basketball have really caught on.
As the views and followers started ticking into the millions, Haley and Hanna found out their videos could have value way beyond family bonding during quarantine. Icon Source, a company that connects brands and athletes through an app, said wireless communications brand Boost Mobile plans to offer a deal to the Cavinders on Thursday.
“We have discovered you can, like, monetize all your accounts and you can create a profit off them, and then partnering with brands is really a cool, eyeopening thing,” Hanna said.
“We never knew that could be a thing,” Haley added.
Blake Lawrence is the CEO of Opendorse, one of a handful of companies working with dozens of schools on NIL programming and education. He said the estimated value of a social media account can be determined by followers. A tweet, for example, can garner l10 per 1,000 followers for the account that posts it.
Instagram is closer to l20 per follower, according to Lawrence. TikTok followers are worth l3l and YouTube followers range from $4-$7.