Below are the top NIL headlines from March 18th:

Olivier Rioux, world’s tallest teen, 7-foot-9 looks to earn some NIL

The Intersection of Fame and NIL

Olivier Rioux, the world's tallest teenager at 7-foot-9, is working to expand his NIL-earning power. This situation highlights how factors beyond athletic performance can now play a significant role in an athlete's earning potential.

Olivier Rioux: A Unique Case

Rioux is a Freshman and has gained significant attention and popularity. Despite not playing minutes for the Florida Gators, he is a popular figure, drawing attention at games. His unique height, which earned him a spot in the Guinness World Record, makes him a notable figure.

Seeking NIL Opportunities

As a Canadian athlete, he is seeking to capitalize on his fame in the United States. He has applied for an O-1 visa, which is designated for individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement in various fields, including athletics. This demonstrates the increasing complexity of NIL, as athletes with unique circumstances explore ways to utilize their NIL rights.

Precedent for International Athletes

There is a precedent for international athletes to capitalize on NIL. Hansel Enmanuel, a basketball player from the Dominican Republic, was granted an O-1 visa in 2022. Enmanuel, who has one arm, has become an inspirational figure and has secured lucrative NIL deals. His success shows the potential for athletes with compelling stories and unique attributes to achieve NIL success.

Rioux's Potential and Future Plans

While Rioux's popularity may not yet be at the level of someone like Enmanuel, it is expected to grow. He is already a viral video sensation. Rioux is also making plans for future endeavors, such as joining Florida quarterback DJ Lagway on a "Gators at Sea Cruise." 

Balancing NIL and Athletic Development

Rioux's situation also raises questions about balancing NIL activities with athletic development. He chose to redshirt this season to focus on getting stronger and improving his quickness. This decision highlights the choices athletes must make in the NIL era and how they prioritize their athletic careers alongside potential earnings.

State AGs Reach Settlement with NCAA in NIL Lawsuit

NIL Legal Battles Continue

The legal landscape surrounding NIL continues to evolve, with recent settlements shaping the future of college sports. State Attorneys General (AGs) have been at the forefront of these legal challenges, advocating for greater freedoms for student-athletes in the NIL space.

Settlement Details and Impact

A group of state AGs has reached a settlement with the NCAA in their lawsuit, which challenged the NCAA's rules regarding NIL. This legal action centered on the argument that the NCAA's restrictions on NIL activities violated antitrust laws and limited athletes' earning potential. The settlement aims to resolve these disputes and establish a clearer framework for NIL operations.

Key Issues Addressed

This settlement addresses several key issues that have been points of contention in the NIL debate. These include the extent to which the NCAA can regulate NIL activities, the ability of athletes to negotiate NIL deals, and the interaction between NIL and recruiting. The outcome of this settlement is expected to have significant implications for how NIL is governed moving forward.

Broader Context of NIL Reform

This settlement is part of a larger trend of legal challenges and reforms in college athletics, particularly concerning NIL. The NCAA faces ongoing pressure to adapt its rules and policies to better accommodate the rights of student-athletes in the modern era. These legal battles and settlements are shaping a new era of college sports, one that balances the interests of athletes, institutions, and governing bodies.

New App Aims to Give NIL Payments After March Madness Big Plays

NIL Innovation 

The NIL era has ushered in a wave of innovation in college sports, and a new app is looking to change how fans can directly support athletes after significant moments. Imagine a player sinking a game-winning buzzer-beater in the NCAA Tournament – now, fans can potentially reward that player directly and almost instantly.

Introducing ROY: Direct Fan-to-Athlete Payments

Cale Johnston, a former Division II tight end and creator of the banking service ClickSWITCH, has developed a platform called ROY (Return On You) to facilitate direct payments from fans to individual athletes. This app aims to "cut out the middleman" between fans and athletes, offering a more direct way for supporters to show their appreciation.  

How ROY Works

ROY allows fans to pay into accounts earmarked for specific athletes. Athletes can then claim these funds in exchange for creating custom content for the fans who paid them. A key feature of ROY is that for athletes with remaining eligibility, they must stay at their current school to collect the money. If the player transfers, the fans get their money back.  

Example: Keeping Players at Their School

The article provides an example of how this might work: Daryl Banks III was the star player for St. Peter's during their impressive run in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. After the tournament, he transferred to St. Bonaventure. With ROY, fans could have potentially used the app to create a campaign to encourage him to stay at St. Peter's.  

NIL's Evolving Landscape

The app's potential success also ties into the evolving landscape of NIL and college athletics. If the House v. NCAA settlement is approved, schools will be able to pay players directly through revenue sharing. However, athletes will still be able to accept outside NIL deals, so ROY could serve as a source of supplemental income. In non-revenue sports or lower subdivisions, ROY could potentially become the primary way for fans to support their favorite athletes.  

Early Success and Promotion

ROY launched in October 2024, and one of its successful campaigns has been for Iowa women's wrestler Kennedy Blades. LSU tailback Caden Durham has also promoted the app, highlighting how fans can use it to support individual players directly, rather than contributing to a collective.  

Looking Ahead

Johnston hopes that ROY can also serve as a way for athletes to become long-term banking customers, as the platform effectively allows them to open a bank account. The success of ROY ultimately depends on whether fans want to make direct payments to athletes. Johnston believes that the collective system is geared towards large donors, and he hopes to provide an alternative for "common fans." The article concludes by noting that both donors and fans have expressed "fatigue" with feeling like they are being "double charged" by schools.