CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As North Carolina’s Deja Kelly sat atop her podium answering questions during this week’s ACC Tipoff, the only thing brighter than her friendly smile was shiny diamonds displayed just above his blue jersey.
When it comes to ACC women’s basketball, few are better known than Kelly, a two-time All-American guard who averaged 16.5 points per game for the Tar Heels last season. For Kelly, like most other athletes in today’s world of college sports, success can now be translated into dollars, thanks to NIL.
Sur3.com, a multimedia college sports and recruiting company, uses an algorithm to help determine the overall NIL market and projected 12-month growth rate for college athletes. Brand Value Index (social media followers, popularity) and Roster Value Index (a person’s overall talent in their sport) are the two determining factors that help Sur3.com determine which college stars are worth the most to potential advertisers.
Kelly, whose $236,000 valuation ranks her eighth among all players, is aware of the impact NIL has had on her life. But while she’s happy for herself, she believes, like many other ACC stars, that NIL serves a greater purpose: As women’s college basketball continues to grow, those involved believe NIL is a driving force in this progress.
“I think NIL has brought more coverage, more attention to the game,” Kelly said. “People look at the players in our game, because of who we are outside of our jerseys. I think through NIL, you have college basketball players partnering with brands that help introduce them to a whole new audience.
More people than ever are watching women’s college basketball. Forbes reported that the 2022 NCAA women’s finals averaged 4.85 million viewers, an 18% increase from the previous year. It was the most-watched women’s basketball game since 2004, until last season’s title game shattered all the sport’s viewership records.
According to Nielsen, the 2023 NCAA women’s final drew nearly 10 million viewers, representing a 103% increase over the 2022 championship game. While most of the sport’s biggest stars are back for another year on the college field, many expect this momentum to continue for the upcoming season.
“Women’s soccer is definitely on the rise,” Miami men’s basketball point guard Nijel Pack told the Post-Gazette. “Personally, I’ve been tuning in more over the last couple of years because of how they’ve changed their game. It’s more entertaining than ever, and they continue to attract more and more viewers.” fans, the more NIL opportunities will increase for them as well.
When it comes to name recognition, it’s safe to say that the biggest stars in college basketball are currently in women’s soccer. This season’s preseason AP men’s basketball All-American team averages just over 100,000 social media followers across all platforms. That number pales in comparison to the 1.46 million followers of this year’s women’s preseason All-American team average.
Bronny James, the eldest son of NBA star LeBron James, has the largest social media footprint in college basketball, with 13.5 million total followers. Behind him is Angel Reese, an All-American forward from LSU who gained national popularity after his team’s championship last spring.
The eight male and female players who spoke to the Post-Gazette for this story believe Reese’s rise to becoming a household name is perhaps the best example of what NIL was originally intended for.
“I think most of the deals in men’s basketball and football are largely pay-offs,” Pitt women’s basketball captain Marley Washenitz told the Post-Gazette. “Especially because of the transfer portal, you see collectives saying to players, ‘Hey, come here and we can give you a good NIL deal.’ In reality, it’s not much of a deal. It’s just a lot of money, and sometimes a car, and all they need to do is make a few public appearances. In women’s basketball, the majority of the money is NIL comes from real brand deals.
Reese’s rise to fame has landed him deals with over 20 major brands, including Airbnb, Amazon, Bose, McDonalds, Reebok and Xfinity. His peers believe Reese’s talent played only part of the equation in these transitions. The other half comes from his personality, which seems to be a common theme throughout the sport.
“I would say the NIL of our game is more brand-driven because brands like personality,” Kelly said. “They want someone who can sell their product. They want someone who can promote it. If you don’t have a certain personality, then it will be difficult for them to associate with you. That’s why I think you see women thriving more in this space, because they know we have the personality and they know we can take full advantage of these NIL opportunities.
“I give all the credit to the women’s soccer players,” added North Carolina men’s basketball point guard RJ Davis. “They really know how to market themselves. They do a phenomenal job with NIL. Women produce their own brands, they market themselves.
Make no mistake, the men’s game still enjoys greater popularity, which in turn translates to more money. Fifteen college basketball players rank inside Sur3.comin NIL’s top 100 ratings, and only five of those 15 are women.
But even with that established, today’s academics can’t help but be optimistic about the direction women’s soccer is headed, thanks in part to NIL.
“It’s really awesome to see how well things have gone for women’s college basketball, especially last year,” Duke star Kyle Filipowski said. “When the NCAA tournament happened with all these big names competing against each other, it got the most views in sports history. It’s great to see this success and recognition continue, because it’s not just us playing this game.”
