PHOENIX — Sponsorship deals were far from Jonny Bottorff’s mind when he transferred from out of state to Northern Arizona University on a football scholarship.
As money-making opportunities for college athletes have boomed since then, the offensive lineman has earned a few hundred dollars through name, image and likeness deals, but nothing that has changed his life.
Bottorff, 23, has already graduated but is now working on his master’s degree at the Division I school in Flagstaff. He transferred from Missouri Western State University, a small Division II school in Saint Joseph.
“I think the reality for most college athletes is things haven’t really changed that much. We just got an extra little bit of cash in our pockets that probably needed to happen,” Bottorff said.
For some players, money from NIL deals has transformed what it means to be a college athlete. But outside the highest-profile stars, who now can earn millions of dollars while still in school, many student-athletes say a college degree remains the ultimate prize.