Ed O'Bannon's Fight for Student Athletes Paves the Way for NIL Deals

The fight for student athletes: a legacy, a legend, and a future of promise. Ed O’Bannon leads the way for the next generation of NCAA athletes.

Ed O’Bannon has been showered in confetti. He’s raised banners and trophies. He’s considered one of the greatest NCAA men’s basketball players of all time, and on top of all that, he’s also set the standard for advocacy and fairness in college athletics.
For decades, the attention paid to college athletics has been fixated on the play on the field. Fans and audiences marveled at the incredible feats of athleticism, teamwork, and human excellence. What was hidden from all of us was what was happening off the field, at the boardroom table. There, millions and millions of dollars was allocated, exchanged, and paid between the controlling parties with the NCAA overseeing - and profiting - tremendously. Student athletes, the ones putting in the hard work day in and day out, didn’t see a dime.

15 years ago, Ed saw himself portrayed in an NCAA licensed video game without his consent or any compensation. In response, he did the one thing that many thought was unimaginable - he challenged the system. Ed’s court case is now well known; he took the NCAA to court, won that case, and ushered in a new era of college athletics, an era that has enabled and brought about what we all refer to now as NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness). Ed’s case and his bravery to challenge what was fundamentally wrong with how the NCAA treated its student athletes has resulted in young people nationwide having the opportunity to make money and set themselves up for financial success and security…sometimes for life.

The impact of such a change is hard to accurately encapsulate. Student athletes, whether they are able to pursue professional careers or not, can now pay down student loans, buy themselves new gear, support a family member, or even save money for their financial future. In the media, we hear about the big deals inked by Caitlin Clark, Caleb Williams, and Travis Hunter through NIL, but where Ed’s legacy will be felt most immediately and forever will be the increased number of small dollar opportunities that are now available to every NCAA athlete.

When Ed and his brother, Charles O’Bannon, and I met for coffee in March, we talked about what I call the 95% - the athletes that don’t receive the big money offers, the spotlight, or media attention. It's these 95%ers that are looking to make $200, $300, $400 every other month through NIL opportunities. We talked about how the system was not set up for Collectives and agencies to be incentivized to help these 95%ers get smaller dollar deals. We also talked about how NIL was failing the most vulnerable and the most significant number of NCAA athletes. And finally, we talked about how Dealiyo was meeting the needs of the 95%ers.

Dealiyo is on a mission to help every student athlete access brand opportunities with a secure legal and financial support platform…free of charge. It's a thrill and truly an honor to have Ed and Charles as Dealiyo Advisors. With Dealiyo, Ed is continuing his work to help every athlete - not just superstars - achieve financial freedom while getting their education.

Read more about Ed’s incredible story in the recent Sportico article here.