The gap between how male and female student athletes are paid for their name, image and likeness spans the length of just about every college football field in the United States, but brands are starting to bridge that divide.

According to Opendorse—which has helped nearly 90,000 student athletes broker so-called NIL deals with brands including Amazon, Meta and Pepsi since the Supreme Court opened the door for NIL in 2021—roughly 77% of all NIL compensation goes to male athletes. Sam Weber, head of Opendorse’s brand marketing and communications, noted that football alone accounts for 55% of all NIL compensation in 2023. READ MORE