Athlete social engagement

College athletes are drawing unusually high social-media response, but clinics and local brands still have to turn attention into actual bookings. (emarketer.com) Student-athletes average a 5.6% engagement rate on social posts, versus 1.9% for traditional influencers, according to Opendorse data cited by eMarketer in January 2026. Opendorse’s 2025 “NIL at Four” report repeats the same 5.6%-to-1.9% gap. (emarketer.com) (biz.opendorse.com) The market around those posts has grown quickly since the National Collegiate Athletic Association let athletes monetize name, image and likeness on July 1, 2021. NCAA guidance says NIL deals can include paid social posts, endorsements, appearances, camps and clinics. (ncaa.org) (ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com) NIL is now operating in a different business climate than it was in 2021. Judge Claudia Wilken approved the House v. NCAA settlement on June 6, 2025, clearing the way for direct school payments to Division I athletes alongside third-party NIL deals. (ropesgray.com) That shift has pushed more attention toward the commercial side of NIL, where brands want measurable return instead of simple visibility. MWW said marketing NIL deals are projected to rise from $234 million to nearly $1 billion in 2025-26 as schools, brands and athletes adjust to revenue sharing. (mww.com) (biz.opendorse.com) The problem for small businesses is that engagement is not the same thing as conversion. SponsorUnited’s 2024-25 NIL report says its data tracks branded posts across Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok, but only from athletes with at least 10,000 combined followers and only when the promotion is publicly visible, which shows how much of the market is still measured by attention metrics rather than closed sales. (sponsorunited.com) Brands are also being told not to overpay for the biggest names. MWW said “meaningful ROI” is showing up with athletes at mid-majors, Division II and III schools, and non-revenue sports, where audiences are smaller but often more concentrated and more local. (mww.com) That local angle is part of the appeal for clinics, training businesses and camps. Opendorse said college athletes bring “hyper-targeted, local fan bases,” while MWW described their audiences as “loyal, regional,” making them a closer fit for businesses selling lessons, memberships or event registrations in one city or campus market. (biz.opendorse.com) (mww.com) Trust is another part of the sales pitch. OpenSponsorship says 80% of fans are more likely to trust a recommendation from their favorite athlete, a figure that helps explain why marketers keep testing athlete-led campaigns even when attribution is hard to prove. (opensponsorship.com) The catch is that trust still has to be translated into a clear ask: sign up, book now, use this code, come to this camp. In NIL’s fifth year, the athletes who can explain a product, show up consistently and sell to a nearby audience are becoming more useful than athletes who only generate likes. (biz.opendorse.com) (mww.com)