Which College basketball players have the highest NIL values?

[CL82]

ESPN ranks the top 25

Number 1 isn't a surprise:

1. Paige Bueckers​

Point guard, UConn​

901,000 followers on Instagram​

336,000 on TikTok​

56,800 on Twitter​

Weeks before NIL rules went into effect, Six Star Pro Nutrition bought a billboard on a major highway in Connecticut that read, "America's highest paid college athlete plays in Connecticut, we just can't pay her yet." It was a not-so-subtle reference to Bueckers, the first freshman in women's college basketball history to win the Wooden Award and an all-round phenomenal athlete who led the Huskies in points (the third freshman to do so after Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Maya Moore), assists, steals and 3-point field goal percentage last season. A brand official told the Hartford Courant that Bueckers could be at the center of a campaign, based on her status as the top player at UConn, which is the strongest brand in women's college basketball.

It helps that she's unafraid to speak her mind. Last year, Bueckers -- who has a Black sibling -- said she didn't care if she lost fans for supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. And in her acceptance speech for the ESPYS women's collegiate athlete of the year award in July, she advocated for more media recognition and coverage of Black female athletes. That's why it's not surprising that the current face of women's college basketball, who has trademarked "Paige Buckets," is projected to make more than $1 million this season from NIL deals, per the Wall Street Journal.

(Azzi comes in at #12.)

 

[Kaizen]

Paige just adds 4,000 followers in Instagram, 1,000 in Twitter.

 

[Mdoggie]

Azzi is the queen of Tiktok

 

[Mdoggie]

 

[oldude]

I get how social media followers is a key metric of NIL marketability. But there is an element, let’s call it crossover appeal, for athletes and other personalities that appeal to that vast expanse of people who don’t spend significant time on social media. Athletes like Tiger Woods, MJ, Simone Biles & Katie Ledecky come to mind. I am really curious to see if Paige might just have the potential to attract a much broader audience.

 

[D J B]

I get how social media followers is a key metric of NIL marketability. But there is an element, let’s call it crossover appeal, for athletes and other personalities that appeal to that vast expanse of people who don’t spend significant time on social media. Athletes like Tiger Woods, MJ, Simone Biles & Katie Ledecky come to mind. I am really curious to see if Paige might just have the potential to attract a much broader audience.

I wondered the same thing.

In looking at television ratings for UConn since Paige came along, it seems pretty clear to me that she has a definite impact, and significant viewers are tuning in just to watch her play. The Big East tournament, for example, had viewership on FS1 which was up to 220% higher than last year. How much of that was due to UConn being back in the conference and how much of it was due to Paige is debatable and can be discussed, but you can't just write off her influence. The same was true of the NCAA tournament. For example, the Baylor/UConn game had the highest Elite 8 viewership on ESPN since 2013. The one difference this year vs. previous years (Baylor and UConn are really nothing new for Elite 8) was Paige.

People just wanted to watch her, and I think that will continue. After all, all of us here after watching her play can't wait to watch her play again. It's contagious and even the casual fan can get caught up in it, especially given how she comes across as a wonderful human being in addition to being an incredibly gifted athlete. I'm personally not a social media person, and I have plenty of friends who aren't either. But even without my influence, every single one of them knows of Paige. How that happens, I don't know, but magic has a way of making it's way around and getting noticed.

 

[letsgogirls]

I wondered the same thing.

In looking at television ratings for UConn since Paige came along, it seems pretty clear to me that she has a definite impact, and significant viewers are tuning in just to watch her play. The Big East tournament, for example, had viewership on FS1 which was up to 220% higher than last year. How much of that was due to UConn being back in the conference and how much of it was due to Paige is debatable and can be discussed, but you can't just write off her influence. The same was true of the NCAA tournament. For example, the Baylor/UConn game had the highest Elite 8 viewership on ESPN since 2013. The one difference this year vs. previous years (Baylor and UConn are really nothing new for Elite 8) was Paige.

People just wanted to watch her, and I think that will continue. After all, all of us here after watching her play can't wait to watch her play again. It's contagious and even the casual fan can get caught up in it, especially given how she comes across as a wonderful human being in addition to being an incredibly gifted athlete. I'm personally not a social media person, and I have plenty of friends who aren't either. But even without my influence, every single one of them knows of Paige. How that happens, I don't know, but magic has a way of making it's way around and getting noticed.

I also think back to the Iowa/UConn game in the tourney as well. I love both players and the Caitlin vs Paige matchup drew a large audience as well.

 

[D J B]

I also think back to the Iowa/UConn game in the tourney as well. I love both players and the Caitlin vs Paige matchup drew a large audience as well.

Yes, indeed it did. Those games and rivalries will only grow the game and the reputations of players like Paige and Caitlin.

I haven't heard much about NIL and Caitlin, but I hope she benefits hugely from it. She deserves it. She's very talented with a basketball, but she doesn't have that magic personality that Paige does. But given that she and Paige are good friends and have high respect for each other, hopefully some of that magic will rub off and translate into $$ for a deserving young woman.

Imagine what the ratings might be if there were a FF match up between UConn and Iowa down the road and the sports networks pumped that up? Would love to see it.

 

[D J B]

I wondered the same thing.

In looking at television ratings for UConn since Paige came along, it seems pretty clear to me that she has a definite impact, and significant viewers are tuning in just to watch her play. The Big East tournament, for example, had viewership on FS1 which was up to 220% higher than last year. How much of that was due to UConn being back in the conference and how much of it was due to Paige is debatable and can be discussed, but you can't just write off her influence. The same was true of the NCAA tournament. For example, the Baylor/UConn game had the highest Elite 8 viewership on ESPN since 2013. The one difference this year vs. previous years (Baylor and UConn are really nothing new for Elite 8) was Paige.

People just wanted to watch her, and I think that will continue. After all, all of us here after watching her play can't wait to watch her play again. It's contagious and even the casual fan can get caught up in it, especially given how she comes across as a wonderful human being in addition to being an incredibly gifted athlete. I'm personally not a social media person, and I have plenty of friends who aren't either. But even without my influence, every single one of them knows of Paige. How that happens, I don't know, but magic has a way of making it's way around and getting noticed.

Replying to myself here, but I've noticed another interesting (at least to me) tendency on YouTube. For many posters who follow basketball and post videos about both men and women, pro and college, if you look at their YouTube sorted breakdowns of most popular videos, Paige videos are usually leading the number count. And not by a small number. A few of the posters that I took note of (those that include Paige vids obviously) have several hundred videos uploaded, and the view count is an eye opener. For example, videos are averaging 300-600 views for most vids. The Paige videos are a bit different, with the numbers being 6K to 12K on some accounts. Not sure if this is indicative of anything, but it is something that was readily apparent to me.

Something is going on, and it can only be a good thing.

 

[letsgogirls]

Yes, indeed it did. Those games and rivalries will only grow the game and the reputations of players like Paige and Caitlin.

I haven't heard much about NIL and Caitlin, but I hope she benefits hugely from it. She deserves it. She's very talented with a basketball, but she doesn't have that magic personality that Paige does. But given that she and Paige are good friends and have high respect for each other, hopefully some of that magic will rub off and translate into $$ for a deserving young woman.

Imagine what the ratings might be if there were a FF match up between UConn and Iowa down the road and the sports networks pumped that up? Would love to see it.

Caitlin’s first NIL venture has happened and it’s her very first merch drop
I think she’ll make a decent amount but I don’t think she’ll be near the amount Paige will earn. As an Iowa fan I’m really hoping that sometime during their college careers there will be an Iowa/UConn regular season game. A final four matchup between the two would be must watch.