As the Wild West that is names, images, and likenesses opens up, it’s not hard to draw some implications from predictions being made. While some of the athletes benefiting will be obvious, let’s face it – accomplished female athletes who are also attractive will be the biggest beneficiaries. Schools are already elevating branding support to the status of state-of-the-art facilities in order to attract top recruits.
Since social media popularity will be a driving factor (in addition to athletic performance) in how much athletes make, we can expect these athletes to shape their social media presence to attract more views and followers.
How will this affect young people looking up to these athletes? A particular concern is how young people will respond as it becomes clear physical attractiveness and attention-getting will be the coin of the realm. Will the added pressure over and above athletic performance result in negative behaviors like eating disorders? What do you think?