Why Women Athletes Are Figuring out NIL Faster Than Everyone Expected.

Something is changing inside the NIL market.

During the 2025–26 fiscal year, the number of women participating in Learfield’s NIL campaigns increased from 2,136 to 4,772.

That’s a 123% jump in one year.

Women’s basketball now ranks third among all college sports in NIL activity. Softball has moved into the top five, right behind baseball.

At first glance, you might credit the growth to rising television ratings and increased interest in women’s sports.

That’s certainly part of it.

But it doesn’t explain everything.

Brands are discovering that many women athletes are good at something NIL requires: talking to people.

Posting Highlights Isn’t Building a Brand

Most athletes use social media the same way.

They post highlights, training clips, game photos and a motivational quote. Then they disappear until the next game.

That may show people you can play.

It doesn’t necessarily give them a reason to care about you.

Women athletes are often more willing to show the person behind the uniform. They talk about school, training, fashion, food, relationships, setbacks and everyday life.

They respond to comments. They bring followers into their world. They make people feel as if they know them.

That relationship is what brands want.

Solly Fulp, Learfield’s head of NIL, says women athletes have proven to be strong storytellers and content creators. He also pointed to their social-media awareness and genuine enthusiasm for the brands they represent.

In other words, the sponsorship doesn’t always feel like a commercial.

It feels like a recommendation.

Fame Gets Attention. Connection Gets Results.

The biggest names collected the first wave of NIL money.

Now brands are starting to look beyond fame. They want athletes who can connect with people, create content and keep an audience interested—even when there’s no game being played.

That’s where women athletes are beginning to separate themselves.

A quarterback may have 500,000 followers because he plays for a major football program. But a volleyball player with 30,000 engaged followers may produce better results for a restaurant, clothing company or local business.

The size of the audience matters.

What the audience does matters more.

Do they comment?

Do they share?

Do they trust the athlete?

Would they purchase something based on that athlete’s recommendation?

Those are business questions—not sports questions.

The Opportunity Is Moving Down the Roster

The biggest women’s NIL figures will always attract headlines.

Softball star NiJaree Canady reportedly secured a $1.2 million NIL deal with Texas Tech.

During her final college season, basketball star and recording artist Flau’jae Johnson carried a reported $1.5 million NIL valuation.

Those numbers are impressive, although a valuation is only an estimate of potential market value—not necessarily money the athlete received.

But the more important story is what is happening below the million-dollar level.

Restaurants were the most active sponsor category in Learfield’s report, followed by financial services, health care and professional services.

These businesses don’t need a national celebrity.

A local restaurant may need a softball player who is popular on campus. A health-care provider may want a gymnast who creates fitness content. A financial company may want a graduating athlete who can speak naturally about saving and managing money.

That opens the door for thousands of athletes who may never become household names.

Athletic Ability Opens the Door

Playing well still matters.

You need the performance, credibility and discipline that come with being a serious athlete.

But athletic ability is only the beginning of the NIL conversation.

Brands also want to know who you are when the game is over.

Can you speak?

Can you tell a story?

Can you create something people want to watch?

Can you represent a company without sounding as if you’re reading from a script?

Can you keep people interested when you’re injured, sitting on the bench or out of season?

Women athletes are answering those questions—and brands are responding with money.

For years, women were told their sports didn’t attract enough attention.

Social media changed the equation.

They no longer have to wait for television networks, athletic departments or traditional sports media to make them visible. They can build their own audiences and carry those audiences wherever they go.

The market isn’t handing women athletes anything.

They are proving they can do the work.

The Lesson for Every Athlete

You don’t need a million followers.

You don’t need to be the best player on your team.

You don’t need to manufacture a fake personality or turn your private life into content.

But people need a reason to care about you beyond the uniform.

Your sport may introduce you.

Your story keeps people around.

And in the NIL market, the athletes who keep people around are the ones brands will continue paying to reach.

The Athletic Entrepreneur Question

If you stopped posting game highlights for one month, would your audience still have a reason to follow you?

If the answer is no, you may be promoting your performance—but you haven’t built your brand yet.

Share this with an athlete who posts highlights and disappears.