{"id":302,"date":"2026-03-02T15:42:58","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T15:42:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/?p=302"},"modified":"2026-03-02T15:46:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T15:46:57","slug":"nil-doesnt-look-the-same-for-everyone-especially-at-d3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/2026\/03\/02\/nil-doesnt-look-the-same-for-everyone-especially-at-d3\/","title":{"rendered":"NIL Doesn\u2019t Look the Same for Everyone \u2014 Especially at D3"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Big NIL Headlines vs. D3 Reality<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When the NCAA approved Name, Image, and Likeness <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/2026\/02\/21\/nil-in-college-athletics\/\">(NIL)<\/a> in 2021, college athletics changed overnight. Headlines focused on six-figure deals, booster collectives, and star quarterbacks cashing in. But that version of NIL doesn\u2019t tell the whole story. It definitely doesn\u2019t reflect what NIL looks like at the D3 level.<br>For official details, see the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncaa.org\/sports\/2021\/7\/9\/name-image-likeness.aspx?utm_source=chatgpt.com\"> NCAA NIL overview<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Cornell College, where I play football, NIL exists but it looks completely different from what you see on ESPN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" src=\"https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/wp-content\/uploads\/47\/2026\/03\/image-1-1024x578.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/wp-content\/uploads\/47\/2026\/03\/image-1-1024x578.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/wp-content\/uploads\/47\/2026\/03\/image-1-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/wp-content\/uploads\/47\/2026\/03\/image-1-768x433.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/wp-content\/uploads\/47\/2026\/03\/image-1.jpeg 1179w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A picture from one of my games this past season.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Understanding D3 Financial Structure<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>First, it\u2019s important to understand the structure. D3 schools do not offer athletic scholarships. According to the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncaa.org\/sports\/2021\/7\/9\/name-image-likeness.aspx?utm_source=chatgpt.com\"> NCAA Division III guidelines<\/a>, financial aid at the D3 level is based on academics or need, not athletic ability. As a football player at Cornell, I don\u2019t receive scholarship money for playing. That doesn\u2019t mean I don\u2019t get academic scholarships, but I still pay a significant amount for college each year. Football isn\u2019t paying my tuition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NIL technically applies to us, though. Every NCAA athlete has the opportunity to profit from their name, image, and likeness under the current rules outlined by the NCAA. But opportunity and reality are two very different things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How NIL Works at Cornell<\/strong> a D3 College<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZrWSPJ_tDic\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/wp-content\/uploads\/47\/2026\/03\/image-1-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-305\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/wp-content\/uploads\/47\/2026\/03\/image-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/wp-content\/uploads\/47\/2026\/03\/image-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/wp-content\/uploads\/47\/2026\/03\/image-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/wp-content\/uploads\/47\/2026\/03\/image-1.png 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This is the NIL app we use at Cornell, a D3 College.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At Cornell, the NIL we receive is minimal. It doesn\u2019t come directly through the school. Instead, our coach had us download an app called<a href=\"https:\/\/nilclub.com\/cornell\/football?utm_source=chatgpt.com\"> NIL Club<\/a>. The way it works is pretty simple: players download the app and send a link to family and friends. They can subscribe or donate money, and whatever comes in gets dispersed equally among the athletes on the team who are signed up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of the football team joined. Not everyone did, but a good number of us are on it. On average, I would say we receive around $10 a month, sometimes less. There are also optional deals inside the app that allow you to complete small promotional tasks for extra money. But most of those require a decent amount of effort and time, and when you\u2019re balancing classes, lifts, practice, meetings, and travel, it\u2019s hard to justify spending hours for a small payout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>NIL\u2019s Impact on Recruiting and College Life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s the reality of NIL at a D3 school like Cornell. It exists. It just doesn\u2019t move the needle very much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And honestly, it doesn\u2019t really impact recruiting at our level either. No one is choosing <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/2026\/02\/23\/division-iii-facilities-is-cornell-college-a-good-place-to-start\/\">Cornell<\/a> because of NIL opportunities. They\u2019re choosing it because of academics, the Block Plan, relationships with coaches, or the chance to compete. NIL might cover a couple of meals each month, but it\u2019s not covering tuition or influencing major decisions. For more context on Division III recruiting and financial aid, see<a href=\"https:\/\/cornellrams.com\/sports\/2021\/8\/3\/standards-and-policies?utm_source=chatgpt.com\"> Cornell College Athletics policies<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why NIL Still Matters<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>That doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s meaningless. It\u2019s still something. It\u2019s still money that didn\u2019t exist before 2021. It\u2019s still a recognition that athletes at every level have value. Even small amounts add up over time. More importantly, it shows that D3 athletes are part of the same national shift in college athletics, just on a much smaller scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When people talk about NIL, the conversation almost always centers on Power Five football and massive collectives. But the truth is, NIL doesn\u2019t look the same everywhere. At schools like Cornell College, it\u2019s not life-changing. It\u2019s not headline-worthy. It\u2019s quiet, small, and mostly supported by family and close community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Small But Real<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So while NIL has dramatically reshaped Division I athletics, at the Division III level, it has had minimal impact. It\u2019s there. It\u2019s real. But for most of us, it\u2019s just a small monthly reminder that college sports are evolving even if that evolution feels a lot different in Mount Vernon, Iowa, than it does on national television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/wp-content\/uploads\/47\/2026\/03\/image-2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-306\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/wp-content\/uploads\/47\/2026\/03\/image-2.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/wp-content\/uploads\/47\/2026\/03\/image-2-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/leveltheplayingfield\/wp-content\/uploads\/47\/2026\/03\/image-2-768x576.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A picture of my friends and me after our last game this year. Some of them were seniors, so it made it extra emotional.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Big NIL Headlines vs. D3 Reality When the NCAA approved Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) in 2021, college athletics[&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":86,"featured_media":304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nil"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\r\n<title>NIL Doesn\u2019t Look the Same for Everyone \u2014 Especially at D3 - Level the Playing Field<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A firsthand look at how NIL works at the D3 level, and why NIL opportunities at Cornell College 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