Major college sports have long been a big business. But until midnight on Thursday, there was one group entirely cut off from the cash flow: the athletes themselves. As of today, that longstanding reality has been altered. “Professional athletes have been able to ink lucrative compensation deals for years, from shoe companies to automakers. College athletes have been barred from doing so under the argument that amateur athletics should remain free of the influences – bad or otherwise – of money.” Of course, college amateur athletics have never been free from money. They’ve just cut the performers out of the action. Now, under a change known as NIL compensation, college athletes will be able to make money off of their Name, Image, and Likeness. Here’s an explainer from AP. It’s ironic that this program is called NIL since that’s exactly what college athletes have been able to earn up until this point.

+ “Here’s a small sample of some of the more noteworthy athletes, brands and campaigns announcing new ventures on the first day of a new era in college sports.” Let’s make a deal: NCAA athletes cashing in on name, image and likeness. (I’d go on, but getting my son to his tennis clinic on time just took on a little more urgency…)