The NIL Edge - May 9, 2025
The NIL Edge – May 9, 2025
Weekly insights at the intersection of sports, business, and personal brand strategy.
Athletes: Don’t wait until your playing days are over to start building your business and your future.
One of the best things about being an athlete in 2025 is access to an incredible number of business opportunities, while you’re still in the game. In fact, the smartest move you can make is to do both — compete AND build — at the same time.
I come from a working-class family in Brooklyn. My early career was spent in gyms and on fields — coaching, training, grinding. Sports taught me grit, discipline, and how to perform under pressure. I carried that mindset into law, eventually becoming a partner at global firms and a #1 bestselling author — equally comfortable in gyms, courtrooms, and boardrooms.
What I’ve learned — on the field and in the boardroom — is this: professionalism opens doors. The discipline and mindset that make you an elite athlete are transferable. And when you approach your brand, your business, and your future with the same intensity you bring to your sport, you set yourself up to win bigger — now and long after the final whistle.
At Selby Strategies, I coach college and pro athletes to:
Lead with confidence
Communicate with impact
Build their brand and reputation to attract and build opportunities
Navigate opportunities with a long-term strategy
Success after sports doesn’t start after. It starts now.
If you’re ready to leverage your athletic success for success in the business world, let’s talk.
This Week’s NIL Highlights
1. NCAA Votes to Allow Schools to Pay Athletes — Pending Judge’s Approval
On April 21, 2025, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors approved a sweeping settlement that could allow schools to directly pay athletes starting in August. The new model would replace current scholarship caps with roster limits and commit up to $20.5 million per school, per year, for athlete compensation — pending court approval of the $2.8 billion antitrust settlement.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/04/21/ncaa-vote-schools-pay-athletes/
2. High School NIL Landscape Expands
With NIL now permitted in 41 states and the District of Columbia, high school athletes are increasingly able to secure endorsement deals. But inconsistent policies across states create a complex and uneven playing field.
3. NIL Deals Impacting Decisions to Delay Going Pro
NIL has created real incentives for athletes to stay in college longer. In women’s college basketball especially, players are delaying turning pro because they can earn more and build stronger platforms while still in school.
Source: https://www.axios.com/2025/05/04/the-nil-impact-on-going-pro
4. Fenty Beauty Partners with New York Liberty
Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin announced a major sponsorship of the New York Liberty — marking their first WNBA team partnership. Expect branded warmups, arena activations, and exclusive products.
Source: https://www.voguebusiness.com/story/beauty/the-new-york-liberty-athletes-will-now-wear-fenty-beauty
5. Olivia Dunne Shares Post-LSU Update
In a recent TikTok post, LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne announced she has begun grad school and bought a new apartment in NYC — showing how NIL can fund meaningful life transitions for athletes after college sports.
