The NIL wave isn’t just changing college basketball – it’s reshaping high school gyms across America. Teen athletes are becoming entrepreneurs before they can vote. From sponsored workouts to personal merch lines, they’re learning the language of business while still perfecting their crossovers.
The new landscape has money, opportunity, and pressure baked in. A talented sophomore might have brand deals before his driver’s license. Parents are hiring PR teams. Trainers are filming every drill. The upside? Financial literacy and exposure at a young age. The downside? Not every 16-year-old is ready for the spotlight that comes with a balance sheet.
For programs and families, this era calls for education, not just ambition. NIL success stories like Mikey Williams and JuJu Watkins show what’s possible – but for every one that makes it, others get lost in the noise. The NIL revolution is here, but it’s only sustainable if the business doesn’t steal the joy that built the game in the first place.
