While college football is now more professional than it’s ever been with players now making money from revenue sharing and their name, image and likeness, the topic of whether the sport has become too professionalized is one that’s been a century in the making.

Nowadays, some collegiate players make more than their respective position coaches while continuing to be student-athletes. In an era where college athletics continually evolve and adapt on what seems like a daily (or at least weekly) basis, NIL has transformed the sport forever and will continue to do so with the changes that follow.

One hundred years ago, an anonymous source told The Lantern that college football was a “corrupt” sport and that “universities have become professionalized.”

Here’s a snippet from the August 26, 1925, issue of The Lantern:

“Football Finance.”

“Big business.”

“Football is no longer an amateur, college game. Universities have become professionalized.”

Are those statements made in 1925 or 2025? Seriously.

Even though the author in The Lantern didn’t think college football was corrupt, they did discuss college football players getting paid to play for their universities.

We do not believe our athletes are “kept” by the University although we may at times suspect they recive help from interested alumni and friends of the University. But if a man keeps eligible, and if an alumnus helps him to get a job to keep himself in school, we cannot complain that he is being professionalized.

Unviersity scouts can more than likely tell many tales of personal pressure to bear to get an athlete to attend Ohio State instead of some other school.

For those curious, after three consecutive losing seasons, the Buckeyes finished 4-3-1 in 1925 before an impressive 7-1 season a year later.

While some might argue that college football is now corrupt and all about NIL – which, in some cases, might be correct – it’s a sport that continues to revolutionize and is now more popular than ever before.

In 2010, Ohio State players were suspended and Jim Tressel was fired when said players sold memorabilia in exchange for tattoos, a saga often referred to as Tattoogate. Now, players are signing seven-figure deals to attend a school and play college football.

Fast forward to 2025, and collective bargaining might soon become a thing in college athletics.

On a potentially historic day on Capitol Hill – when an all-encompassing college sports bill could advance out of committee – two Democrats are reintroducing a bill that does permit what many within the industry crave: collective bargaining with athleteshttps://t.co/7jz5cqpHDz pic.twitter.com/PBvYFAU5pS

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 23, 2025

That anonymous person in 1925 was kind of right; it just took 100 years for that to come to fruition.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order with the intent of ending third-party, pay-for-play payments in college athletics. In the middle of all that, though, Nick Saban wants to ensure the protection of other collegiate sports outside of football and men’s basketball.

In an appearance on FOX News on Friday, Saban stressed the need to take care of the non-revenue sports. That’s because of what the profits made in football and men’s basketball have meant to the other sports outside of those two for many years now.

“Well, I think that, you know, I’m for keeping all the sports that we have, as many that we can have. But, you know, there are financial concerns relative to how many sports can you promote that don’t create revenue?” Saban said. “I think one of the things that people need to understand about college sports – they say it’s a business, but it’s really not a business. It’s revenue-producing and two sports have created the revenue to have 20 other sports, and I think that’s why it’s important that we have a system in place.

“And I think, you know, President Trump has made the first step toward that. I think, you know, the SCORE Act in Congress right now would be another step in that direction, would protect the opportunities that we’ve been able to provide for male and female, non-revenue sports because I think it’s everybody’s goal to keep all those opportunities intact.”

Again, of everything to factor into what name, image, and likeness and revenue sharing looks live moving forward, this aspect is of note. That’s with football and men’s basketball making all of the profits as compared to every other sport around college athletics.

Saban reacts to Trump’s executive order relating to college sports

When President Donald Trump initially expressed concern about the current state of collegiate athletics back in May, he turned to Nick Saban for advice, as, after meeting in Tuscaloosa, Trump tabbed the legendary former coach as a co-chair on a yet-to-be-realized presidential commission on college sports. And, while Trump’s proposed presidential commission never went beyond those initial discussion phases, Saban’s input helped create the framework of what would become Trump’s recent executive order, titled “President Donald J. Trump Saves College Sports,” which the White House announced Thursday.

A day later, Saban praised the president’s executive order. He called it “a huge step” toward moving college athletics back to an “educational model” after the House v. NCAA settlement effectively ended the NCAA’s “amateur” model and ushered in revenue-sharing with student-athletes beginning July 1st.

“I think President Trump’s executive order is a huge step in providing the educational model which is what we’ve always sort of tried to promote to create opportunities for players, male and female alike, revenue and non-revenue, so they can have development as people, students and develop careers or develop professionally if that’s what they choose to do,” Saban said during a Friday morning appearance on FOX’s Fox and Friends. “I think we need to make a decision here relative to do we want to have an education-based model, which I think the President made a huge step toward that, or do we want to have universities sponsor professional teams. And I think most people would choose the former.”

The “Save College Sports” executive order delivers on multiple agenda items the NCAA and Power Four administrators have lobbied Congress for in recent months. That includes directing key members of his administration — specifically his secretaries of Education, Health and Human Services and the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission — to develop a plan to provide antitrust protections for the NCAA and its conferences so it can properly create and enforce rules governing the future of collegiate athletics.

An executive order streamlines some of the top items on the NCAA’s wishlist. The order “requires the preservation and, where possible, expansion of opportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women’s and non-revenue sports.”

In 2023, Deion Sanders brought Prime Time to Colorado. The Buffaloes were a ratings hit, making a near-weekly appearance in the Top 10 most-watched college football games.

More Hall of Fame star power is coming to college football in 2025, this time in Chapel Hill. Bill Belichick is gearing up for his first season at North Carolina, bringing plenty of attention to the program along with him. That was apparent at ACC Media Days this week as crowds of reporters listened to what the six-time Super Bowl champion coach had to say.

ESPN is also in position to capitalize with eight – maybe 10 – UNC games on its networks, Front Office Sports reported. As for whether the company is expecting a Coach Prime-like surge, it certainly sees “potential.”

“We have to wait and see. The potential is there,” said Kurt Dargis, ESPN senior director of programming and acquisitions, in an interview with FOS. “There’s definitely interest in him outside the typical college football fan.

“Deion was such a phenomenon. I still can’t believe some of the numbers we got that first year he was there. It’s too early to say.”

ESPN capitalizing early on Bill Belichick at UNC

ESPN’s main channel is set to air North Carolina’s opener against TCU, which will take place in primetime on Monday, Sept. 1 with an 8 p.m. ET kickoff. The network will also broadcast College Football Countdown from Chapel Hill, hosted by Matt Barrie. Analysts Tedy Bruschi, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban will also be in attendance, as will college football insider Pete Thamel.

North Carolina’s Week 2 matchup against Charlotte will be exclusively on ESPN+, and Week 3 against Richmond will be on ACC Network – owned by ESPN. Two other Tar Heels games have already been picked up by ESPN. North Carolina’s Oct. 17 game at Cal will be on ESPN with a 10:30 p.m. ET kickoff, and ESPN will air the Oct. 31 matchup at Syracuse.

Of course, TCU was also the season opener for Sanders’ first season at Colorado in 2022. The Buffaloes wound up winning that game 45-42, thrusting the program into the national spotlight as Coach Prime and Co. took down a team fresh off a national championship berth.

Horned Frogs coach Sonny Dykes previously joked this year’s opener was “bad scheduling” given that recent history. However, at Big 12 Media Days, he told ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg he thinks the program is better prepared to deal with such an anticipated matchup.

Hanna Cavinder turned her college basketball fame into a strong brand and business. With her twin sister Haley, she built a huge social media following and scored major NIL deals. Their TikTok has over 4.5 million followers and 150 million likes. Analysts say their influence rivals top male college stars. The Cavinder twins are now big names among student-athletes and young business minds.

Hanna Cavinder’s huge online following led to brand deals (Nike, Under Armour), startup investments, and media gigs. Her smart branding shows how college athletes can use their platform for long-term success.

Social Media

Before NIL rules, Hanna and Haley Cavinder became TikTok stars. By March 2021, they had 2.7 million followers, posting dances and basketball clips from Fresno State. Their reach showed that follower count, not stats, could drive earnings. Opendorse CEO Blake Lawrence said their impact was nearly as big as Trevor Lawrence’s the NFL’s top draft pick that year.

Today, the Cavinders have a massive online following. Their shared TikTok (@cavindertwins) has over 4.5 million followers and 150 million likes. Their Instagram accounts shared and individual total nearly 2 million followers, per SBJ. These numbers rival celebrity influencers, not typical college athletes. Hanna’s team treats these channels as key brand assets. The twins post lifestyle, fitness, and travel content to grow their audience. This steady activity taught Hanna the value of her brand even before NIL rules began.

By July 2021, when NIL rules took effect, Hanna had already shown her market power. Experts said her TikTok presence alone could earn hundreds of thousands a year. Within two years, the Cavinders reported nearly $2 million from NIL and sponsorship deals. They prove daily that social media can turn into real income for athletes.

Branding and Business Ventures

Hanna’s brand play isn’t just about TikTok. She and Haley treat NIL deals like real business. They’ve signed long-term partnerships and taken equity in companies. In July 2024, they landed a three-year exclusive apparel and footwear deal with Under Armour the first for NCAA women’s basketball players. UA even taps them to test and help design new products, using their real fan connection.

The Cavinder twins promote their ventures in a real, relatable way. Their agent says they offer brands a mix of sport, fashion, and wellness influence. Hanna often repeats her dad’s advice: ‘It’s not a four-year plan, it’s a 40-year plan.’ She says NIL taught them to invest, diversify, and think long-term. They work with a trusted attorney and aim to build a lasting business far beyond the norm for college athletes.

Under Armour even ran a playful campaign with the twins, sharing ‘7 easy steps’ to build an NIL empire. The list included ‘be elite,’ ‘sign with Under Armour,’ and ‘star in a Dick’s campaign.’ It was tongue-in-cheek, but Hanna has done it all and more.

NIL Pioneer and Role Model

Hanna Cavinder has become a key voice for college athlete opportunity. She and Haley were among the first to sign an NIL deal partnering with Boost Mobile on July 1, 2021, in a Times Square ad. The deal, reportedly worth five figures each, made headlines and opened doors.

They’ve also pushed for policy change. Both spoke at a U.S. Senate NIL roundtable, backing fair, earned rights for student-athletes.

Their success changed how people view NIL. They started at Fresno State not a sports powerhouse yet out-earned many big-school stars. As one writer said, ‘The twins are proof that NIL benefits go beyond the biggest names in the biggest sports.

In 2024, they were profiled by Sports Business Journal and included in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 for Sports a nod to their pioneering role in the NIL era and their business success off the court.

Building a Lasting Legacy

For student-athletes interested in entrepreneurship and branding, Hanna Cavinder’s journey offers several key takeaways:

1. Invest Early, Think Long-Term

Approach NIL as a long-term opportunity. Hanna treats every deal like an investment, focusing on equity, royalties, and sustainability.

2. Diversify Your Platform

Grow your brand across multiple platforms (TikTok, Instagram, etc.) and use them to authentically support your ventures.

3. Be a Trailblazer

Don’t be afraid to try new things: sign major partnerships, appear in national campaigns, launch your own product lines.

4. Stay Authentic

Hanna’s relatable, humorous, and athletic brand connects with fans. Authenticity builds trust and trust builds influence.

5. Balance Sports and Business

Build a team to help you manage both athletics and business. Hanna has done this well, continuing her NCAA basketball career while growing a business empire.

Conclusion

Hanna Cavinder has become one of the most influential college athletes of the NIL era. Through strategic branding, smart investments, and relentless social media engagement, she has proven that athletic talent is only the beginning. Her story is not just about viral fame or flashy deals it’s about building a business, inspiring future athletes, and showing the world that college athletes can be CEOs in sneakers.