Louisiana Athletes at Smaller Schools Fight for NIL Opportunities

Published: March 18, 2025

By: Ella Armstrong, Caroline Burk, Ty Cazeaux and Christian Gladne, LSU Manship School News Service

Bailey Tillman began her freshman year at McNeese State University in 2021 after new NCAA rules allowed college athletes to start making money. Attending a small school in a lesser-known conference, Tillman, a volleyball player, was not sure if local businesses would want to use her name or image in ads and other promotional activity – and national connections seemed impossible. 

            But by reaching out to companies on her own, she was able to scrounge up several so-called name, image and likeness, or NIL, deals. She earned $100 writing reviews for Twanie’s Terrific Treats, a cookie store in Lake Charles. And Avoli, a women’s volleyball brand, sends her products in exchange for her posting videos on Instagram of her taking them out of the box.

Read more at Lafourche Gazette.