By Alex Raskin, Sports News Editor For DailyMail.com
NCAA athletes are wasting little time in capitalizing on new rules allowing them to profit off their name, image, and likeness (NIL), with some high-profile stars expecting to sign six-figure endorsement deals and possibly much more in the near future.
Leigh Steinberg, the famed sports agent who has negotiated deals for NFL legends such as Steve Young and Troy Aikman, told DailyMail.com that a quarterback from a high-profile school 'could rival a pro' in endorsement earnings.
Payouts will vary 'client to client, deal to deal' sports attorney Darren Heitner told DailyMail.com, adding that contracts in excess of $100,000 are 'absolutely' expected before the fall sports season starts in late August.
And Heitner isn't guessing. He already represents Florida football player Donovan McMillon as well as twin sisters and Fresno State basketball stars Haley and Hanna Cavinder, who quickly leveraged their 3.3 million TikTok followers into new deals with Boost Mobile and SixStar ProNutrition.
Like the other contracts signed on July 1, terms were not disclosed, but the Cavinders's new sponsorship agreements are already receiving national attention after being announced on an electronic billboard in New York's Times Square.
Twin sisters and Fresno State basketball stars Haley and Hanna Cavinder (pictured) leveraged their 3.3 million TikTok followers into a new deal with Boost Mobile
Like the other contracts signed on Thursday, terms were not disclosed, but the Cavinders's new sponsorship agreements are already receiving national attention after being announced on an electronic billboard in New York's Times Square. Icon Source, a company that
The NCAA Board of Directors approved the NIL change on June 30, making July 1 the first day college athletes could capitalize on their fame without endangering their eligibility or putting their school in jeopardy.
For years, college sports' top governing body claimed to be protecting amateurism by penalizing athletes for signing endorsement deals, selling autographs, or making paid appearances, among other violations. But while the NCAA will continue to bar schools from paying athletes directly, the organization appears to have caved to outside pressure by lifting NIL restrictions.
And if July 1 is any indication, companies of all sizes are eager to sign new spokespeople.
Of course, not every endorsement deal is with a nationally recognized company like Boost Mobile.
For instance, Antwan Owens, a defensive end for Jackson State's football team, and four of his teammates signed with Three Kings Grooming, a black-owned hair product shop.
'Somebody pinch me,' Owens told Sports Illustrated.
Auburn quarterback Bo Nix inked an endorsement deal with Milo's Sweet Tea shortly after midnight — a contract that was brokered by Icon Source, which claimed to have facilitated more than a dozen such sponsorship agreements on Thursday alone
Florida State quarterback McKenzie Milton (right) and Miami quarterback D'Eriq King (left) both signed with Dreamfield, a company that books public appearances.
Not every endorsement deal is with a nationally recognized company like Boost Mobile. For instance, Antwan Owens (right), a defensive end for Jackson State's football team, and four of his teammates signed with
