Ivy League NIL: the Ivies don't support NIL and discourage it.
"Richard Kent, a legal consultant to Student Athlete NIL — a group that runs NIL collectives for several schools — said
while the Ivy League or Harvard can’t prohibit donors from forming a collective, the donors he’s spoken to about founding one have taken issue with the idea."
“I've talked to boosters of Ivy League schools, donors, boosters,” Kent said. “And I keep getting a similar refrain: we don't have an appetite for this.”
"If students were to receive money through an NIL collective, that money would be subject to review from the financial aid office in determining aid packages, according to College spokesperson Jonathan Palumbo." This is Harvard.
Gabby S. Anderson ’26, a player on the women’s basketball team, signed an NIL deal upon concluding her high school basketball career, and expressed her appreciation for being able to showcase both her athletic and artistic talents.
“My NIL experience has been wonderful for me personally, because it is also tied into my shoe customization business,” Anderson said. “I get to sell myself as not only a Harvard student, basketball player, but also as an artist.”
Fabiola Belibi ’26, a student track athlete, said she faced various obstacles procuring NIL deals.
“I have found it extremely difficult to secure NIL opportunities only because
of the lack of visibility that is in the Ivy League — it’s bad,” Belibi said.
Belibi said she believes the lack of visibility is because athletics aren’t “highlighted in the Ivy League.”
Tyler J. Neville ’24, another senior on the football team who will play for the University of Virginia in his fifth year, also said players would appreciate a collective,
but predicted that one wouldn’t be formed as it would cause “uproar” on campus.
Harvard men’s basketball guard Malik Mack entered the NCAA transfer portal Tuesday morning, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Mack averaged 17.2 points, 4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game in his first season of collegiate basketball, placing him third in the nation in points-per-game amongst freshmen.
The Maryland native earned Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors earlier this month after bringing home the Ivy League “Rookie of the Week” award eight times this season. Mack was also nominated to the Lou Henson Award Midseason Watch List in early January.
As colleges and universities across the country have embraced name, image, or likeness collectives and supported alumni-led efforts to provide financial support for players, Harvard and its fellow Ivy League schools have refused to follow suit.
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