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The National Collegiate Athletic Association started to allow college athletes to profit on their name, image and likeness in July 2021. The NIL industry is now worth around $1 billion, according toStar football players make up the top-earning NIL athletes, according to On3, a platform that tracks NIL. Bennett, a fifth-year senior, is listed at No. 8 with a valuation of $1.3 million.
Butler sees bigger brands, such as Delta Air Lines Inc. or The Home Depot Inc., also aligning themselves with Bennett because of the Bulldogs’ broad appeal nationally. Fortune 500 companies have been slow to enter the NIL market because the marketing teams first must prove the benefit from the investment, Butler said.