"NIL" refers to the way college athletes can receive compensation using their name, image, and likeness. This allows college athletes to hire agents, secure endorsement deals, and earn an income through being athletes. It also protects athletes from preventing others from exploiting their name, image, and likeness without their consent and using it commercially. Using an athlete's NIL involves a brand leveraging their name, image, and/or likeness through marketing and/or promotional endeavors, which result in payment to the athlete. And realistically, many marketing and promotional endeavors are done through social media.