NIL headlines are loud, but the day-to-day impact for most high-school recruits is small. Outside a narrow slice of marquee programs and athletes, deals tend to be modest and local, while the bigger compensation shifts tied to House v. NCAA and revenue sharing are likely to pool in a few sports at a few schools. For counselors, the message is simple: keep NIL in view, but keep the focus on academics, coaching fit, cost, and a real path to playing time. This article breaks down what the NIL era actually looks like for the vast majority of prospective athletes and how to guide families accordingly.

Opendorse sits at the center of the NIL marketplace, and their annual “NIL at 3” report offers some of the clearest insights into where the money is actually flowing. From market growth to sport-by-sport breakdowns, the data gives counselors a realistic picture of what NIL means today. Read more here.

College sports aren’t just about campus pride; they’re one of the strongest pipelines to the Olympic podium. But with new athlete payments reshaping budgets, dozens of Division I Olympic sport programs have already been cut. This post explains why these changes could impact Team USA for years to come, and why we need a new model.

College sports are changing faster than ever, and it’s leaving a lot of people—athletes, families, even school administrators—scrambling to keep up. NIL, direct athlete payments, and massive legal settlements have created new financial realities that affect every sport on campus. The problem is, not every sport is living in the same reality. Power 4 football and basketball operate in one world, while Olympic and non-revenue sports live in another. In this post, we break down why treating them the same is causing trouble—and how a “One for the Few, One for the Many” model could protect opportunities for every type of athlete.