What do college athletes make money from?

• A. Their autograph sales
• B. Their ticket revenue share
• C. Their performance bonuses from games
• D. Their name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that college athletes can monetize their name, image, and likeness. Under NIL rights, athletes can earn money from endorsements, sponsorships, social media promotions, personal appearances, and autograph signings—anything that uses their personal brand. This umbrella concept explains the various ways athletes can profit in college athletics today, which is why it’s the best answer. Autograph sales are a specific example of NIL activity, but they don’t capture the full scope. Ticket revenue shares aren’t typically paid to individual players and are controlled by schools, and performance bonuses from games aren’t a standard or widely available mechanism in the NIL framework.