Date of Graduation

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in International Business

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Economics

Advisor/Mentor

Shipman, Jonathan

Abstract

Under current regulations, the allocation of athletic-based aid in public universities is slanted away from non-full scholarship sports like baseball. Since the approval of student-athletes to benefit from their name, image, and likeness, college sports have ascended into far larger businesses than ever before. This expansion has raised concerns over the future of college sports and its historic stance on amateurism. While the focus of NIL has centered around blockbuster deals for individual athletes, the changes in regulation have created avenues to support student-athletes better financially. Universities have formed NIL collectives to facilitate money from donors to student-athletes in exchange for promotion or services. This revolutionary concept started in the larger revenue-generating sports of football and basketball but has made it into the realm of college baseball. Previously, college baseball programs have been restrained by regulations imposed by the NCAA on how many scholarships they can offer to their players. Now, with the development of NIL collectives, programs can use donated funds to counteract these restrictions. I asked college baseball players about their experiences and their opinions on these changes. Their answers helped me build visuals for the distribution of athletic scholarships and NIL collective payments across many of the country’s top baseball programs. The opinions of the players also raised some concerns that are addressed by my potential avenues moving forward.

Keywords

College Baseball, NIL, NIL Collectives

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