How Athletics Are Reshaping Higher Ed Brand Strategy

For decades, college athletics has been more than just a Saturday pastime: it’s been one of higher education’s most visible brand engines. But today, that visibility is colliding with a major structural shift. Student-athletes are no longer just representatives of their institutions; they’re becoming compensated stakeholders in their schools’ financial and brand ecosystems.  

A landmark $2.8 billion legal settlement (House v. NCAA) and ongoing reforms to Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policies are accelerating this transformation. And for universities, it’s time to re-evaluate how athletics influences everything from brand awareness and reputation management to recruitment, fundraising, and institutional storytelling. 

The New Rules of the Game 

Beginning on July 1, 2025, Division I institutions in the “Power Four” conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC) will be allowed to directly share up to $20.5 million annually with their student-athletes. This revenue-sharing model, unprecedented in college sports history, marks a significant departure from the traditional amateurism framework that prohibited athletes from being compensated beyond scholarships and cost-of-living stipends.  

NCAA President Charlie Baker has already announced that the power conferences will be responsible for managing the NIL clearinghouse and revenue-sharing cap, not the NCAA. The power conferences hired former Major League Baseball exec Bryan Seeley to lead a new College Sports Commission to oversee revenue sharing and NIL contracts. 

To be clear: this $20.5 million cap is not mandatory. Institutions can choose whether to participate and to what extent. But the ceiling, which represents roughly 22% of a top-tier athletic department’s annual revenue, sets a new benchmark in how schools value the labor, image, and influence of their athletes. 

This institutional revenue sharing is distinct from NIL deals, which are independently brokered between student-athletes and third-party sponsors. Instead, this revenue would come directly from athletic departments – funded by media rights, ticket sales, licensing, and donor support. 

And while this model does not yet classify athletes as employees, it formalizes their status as contributors to a school’s economic and brand value in ways we’ve never seen before. 

What This Means for Institutions 

The financial, cultural, and reputational implications of this shift are vast: 

• Budgeting priorities will shift. Athletic departments will need to reassess where dollars go, potentially affecting coaching salaries, facilities, and support for non-revenue sports.  

• Recruiting will change. Universities that approach the cap may gain a competitive edge, pressuring peer or rival institutions to follow suit. Compensation could become a defining part of a school’s recruitment pitch. 

• Title IX questions remain. How revenue is distributed – by sport, gender, individual performance, or tenure – raises complex equity and compliance issues that schools must navigate carefully. A group of women athletes have already filed an appeal arguing that the settlement violates Title IX.  

• Brand strategy must evolve. Student-athletes are now high-profile contributors to institutional visibility, with personal platforms and audiences of their own. Schools will need to consider how they co-create stories, manage reputation, and share the spotlight.  

Athletics as Brand Awareness Engine 

Athletics has always been a key driver of brand awareness in higher ed. Sports often provide the first and most emotionally resonant touchpoint a prospective student or member of the public has with a university. 

• National broadcasts, March Madness, bowl games, and NIL news cycles all contribute to brand visibility that many academic programs simply can’t match.  

• Online conversation data consistently shows that athletics-related content accounts for most engagement across social channels, news coverage, forum threads, and search mentions for many institutions.  

• Student-athletes, empowered by NIL and social platforms, have become authentic, far-reaching brand ambassadors with their own fanbases and followers. 

This visibility often has a halo effect, boosting applications, alumni engagement, and even philanthropic giving. But it also comes with risk. Schools must ensure that the athletics narrative aligns with institutional values and goals, or risk reputational misalignment. 

Strategic Considerations for Marketing Teams 

As athletics moves closer to a semi-professional model, colleges and universities need integrated strategies across departments. That means marketing, communications, athletics, advancement, and enrollment must work in tandem, not in silos. 

Some guiding questions:  

• Is your athletics brand aligned with your overall institutional positioning?  

• Are you leveraging your athletics platform for broader awareness, not just school spirit?  

• Is there a strategy and working relationship between central marketing and athletics communications teams?  

• How will you support athletes in building personal brands that align with and amplify your university’s brand? 

• What new content, sponsorships, or crisis scenarios need to be planned for?  

• What policies, resources, or partnerships are in place to help athletes navigate sponsorships, media training, content creation, and brand management? How can the institution serve as both a platform and a guardrail? 

• How are you preparing for heightened scrutiny around athlete compensation, gender equity, and institutional values?
   

We’re already seeing early examples of universities moving proactively. The University of Kentucky recently announced a comprehensive new model for student-athlete engagement and support, designed to align with the forthcoming revenue-sharing structure and evolving expectations around athlete empowerment. Their approach includes expanded financial support, career development, and brand-building infrastructure, all underpinned by coordinated messaging across athletics and university leadership. This kind of strategic alignment between athletics, academics, and communications is what the next generation of college branding will demand.  

How We Can Help 

As higher ed brand partners, this moment calls us to be proactive, not reactive. We can support your team by: 

• Guiding alignment of athletics with brand strategy and mission.  

• Developing co-branded content that feels authentic and values driven.  

• Helping build protocols for managing visibility, controversy, or equity challenges.  

• Providing frameworks for integrated messaging and media training for both institutional and athlete spokespeople.  

This is a new era of storytelling, one where students are no longer just featured in the brand but co-own it.  

A Shift Worth Leading 

This isn’t just a policy change. It’s a redefinition of how institutions measure value, reward visibility, and build brand equity. 

Athletics is no longer an extracurricular, it’s the public face of the institution. As athletes gain visibility and voice, schools must align their strategies to reflect reality. 

For universities and the agencies that support them, this is a moment to lead, not just adapt. The institutions that embrace this shift with clarity, equity, and creativity will not only differentiate themselves but also build trust and relevance with a new generation of students, alums, and fans.

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