NIL Funds Drive Top College Basketball Players to Elevate Their Game
The arrival of NIL agreements has reshaped college basketball endorsements. Brands now sign teenagers years before they reach the NBA.
Name, image, and likeness rules began on July 1, 2021. Since then, footwear partnerships became common for elite prep and college players.
High-profile college pairings
Two freshmen stand out this season: BYU forward AJ Dybantsa and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson. Both are 19 and projected lottery picks.
Each signed NIL shoe deals early. Peterson joined Adidas in 2023. Dybantsa signed with Nike in 2024.
The teams met on Jan. 31 at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. Nike unveiled a player-exclusive GT Cut for Dybantsa with hyper pink accents and cobalt branding.
Dybantsa averages 25.3 points per game. Peterson scored 18 points in 20 minutes during that matchup.
Adidas used social media to amplify Peterson’s moment. A joint Instagram post with Kansas Hoops declared “End of Debate,” pairing the dunk, the player, and the brand.
Brands betting on youth
Shoes now come with built-in stories. Industry veterans say NIL deals let brands craft narratives around young stars.
Sonny Vaccaro told Filmogaz.com that NIL changed the world. He added that athletes gain more freedom and recognition much quicker.
Anthony DiCosmo, who helped Jordan Brand expand its roster, said storytelling is deeper. He noted teenagers can now carry a brand’s narrative alone.
Adidas Basketball’s head of sports marketing, Cam Mason, told Filmogaz.com that long-term planning matters. Many Adidas athletes joined the brand while still in high school.
Overtime Elite and early identifications
Overtime Elite launched in 2021 for players aged 16 to 20. The league became a talent pipeline for brand partnerships.
St. John’s Ian Jackson and Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. signed Adidas NIL deals in 2024 while in Overtime Elite. Overtime president Farzeen Ghorashy praised Adidas’ early scouting.
Women’s basketball earning signature moments
Women’s players are also central to footwear marketing. Oklahoma guard Aaliyah Chavez signed with Nike in 2025.
Chavez averaged 18.4 points and 4.2 assists as a freshman. She filmed a Kobe Brand commercial in New York before arriving on campus.
At the NBA All-Star Weekend in February, Jalen Brunson debuted the “Warning Label” Nike Kobe 3 Low Protro. The shoe originally retailed for $230 and now sells for much higher resale prices.
USC freshman Jazzy Davidson signed a multiyear Nike NIL deal in 2024. She has worn player-exclusive Nike Sabrina 3 PEs and sits among leading collegiate performers.
When school deals clash with personal endorsements
Conflicts persist between school sponsors and athlete deals. Traditionally, university shoe contracts override individual deals.
LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson has a Puma NIL agreement but competes in school-issued Nikes. Arkansas standout Darius Acuff Jr. is signed to Reebok while his school partners with Nike.
Some challenger brands still invest early. New Balance signed 18-year-old Cooper Flagg before his Duke season. Flagg later earned national college player of the year honors.
Flagg became the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. New Balance waited through his college season to plan NBA campaigns and custom colorways.
Market effects and the road ahead
Marketers say NIL funds give brands direct access to Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Relatability, they add, equals strong influence.
Stars like Dybantsa and Peterson will enter the NBA draft with established shoe stories. Their spring or summer campaigns will be brand-led and years in the making.
NIL funds are helping top college basketball players elevate their game on and off the court. The deals fuel exposure, marketing budgets, and storytelling opportunities for young athletes.
Industry insiders predict more brands will bet on teenage talent. The players still sell the shoes, and the market now offers many new venues for deals, Vaccaro told Filmogaz.com.
