What the HEEL…is NIL?
What the HEEL…is NIL? And How is it Changing College Athletics?
Barbara Osborne, Professor, Sport Administration, Department of Exercise and Sport Science; Joint Appointment, School of Law
Tuesday, March 18 from 6:30 – 8:00PM.
Three little letters—NIL—are shaking up the world of college athletics.d
Short for Name, Image, and Likeness, NIL represents a seismic shift in the way student-athletes can profit from their personal brand. Since July 1, 2021, when the NCAA lifted its long-standing ban, athletes have been signing endorsement deals, making paid appearances, and navigating a fast-changing landscape of financial opportunities. Division I college athletics will never be the same. But NIL isn’t just about sponsorships, it’s rewriting the rules of the game.
Join us for a dynamic discussion led by esteemed faculty Barbara Osborne, who will break down what NIL really means, how it works, and its impact on college sports. Learn about the legal and regulatory history, real-world examples of NIL deals, and the pressing questions shaping the future of college athletics:
🔹 What does NIL mean for non-revenue sports and equity?
🔹 How does the House settlement impact the future of college athletes?
🔹 Can anyone—schools, conferences, the NCAA, or the government—rein in college football?
Come ready with your questions about what promises to be an insightful and lively discussion!
Barbara Osborne, JD, is a professor with a joint appointment in Exercise and Sport Science and the School of Law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her current academic research focuses on legal issues in intercollegiate athletics, gender equity, and medical issues in sport. She has earned degrees in Communications (University of Wisconsin-Parkside), Sport Management (Boston University) and Law (Boston College Law School). Osborne’s experience in the sport industry includes college athletics administration, coaching, public relations, television sports commentator, publisher, sports information director and Title IX consultant. She has also served as the Chair of the Sport and Entertainment Law section of the North Carolina Bar Association, and is a member of the Sport Lawyers Association, North American Society for Sport Management, and the Sport and Recreation Law Association. She was honored with the SRLA Betty van der Smissen Leadership Award, NASSM Distinguished Educator Award, is a SRLA Research Fellow and has earned two teaching awards at UNC.
