The athletic director of the South Carolina Gamecocks discusses the current state of NIL.

In recent years, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) has drastically transformed college sports. Once an era where athletes were compensated only through scholarships and the occasional stipends, NIL has opened new doors for student-athletes to monetize their personal brand and capitalize on opportunities that were previously unavailable. But as the landscape evolves, many college athletic programs, coaches, and administrators have had to navigate the new waters of NIL with careful planning and strategy. The University of South Carolina, home to the Gamecocks, has been one of the programs that has seen the significant impact of NIL, both in terms of opportunity and challenges.

In this article, we will take a closer look at how Ray Tanner, the Athletic Director of the South Carolina Gamecocks, has approached the evolving world of NIL. His insights offer a unique perspective into the successes, complexities, and ongoing challenges that come with managing NIL opportunities in a university athletic program. Tanner’s leadership and forward-thinking attitude provide valuable lessons for other programs across the country in how to responsibly navigate this new era of college athletics.

1. Understanding NIL: The Basics and Its Impact

The introduction of NIL legislation in 2021 marked a monumental shift in college athletics. Before NIL, student-athletes were prohibited from profiting off their name, image, and likeness while still retaining their eligibility. This meant that despite their status as some of the best athletes in the country, they were unable to capitalize on endorsements, sponsorships, and other monetization opportunities that were available to individuals in other fields. NIL essentially leveled the playing field, allowing college athletes to make money through things like social media promotions, autographs, personal branding, and business ventures.

However, NIL also came with new challenges for athletic departments, including creating fair and equitable opportunities for all athletes, ensuring compliance with NCAA regulations, and avoiding abuses of the system. The college athletics world has had to adjust to these changes, finding ways to navigate this new territory while balancing the needs and desires of the student-athletes, coaches, and stakeholders involved.

Ray Tanner, who has served as the Athletic Director at South Carolina since 2012, has been tasked with overseeing this shift and helping the university’s athletic program not only comply with new NIL rules but also maximize the benefits for student-athletes. His leadership and approach to NIL reflect a broader shift in college sports where administrators must become advocates for student-athletes while still managing the complexities of an evolving system.

2. South Carolina’s Approach to NIL

Under Tanner’s guidance, South Carolina has made significant strides in adjusting to the new NIL landscape. One of the first steps that Tanner and the athletics department took was to create an environment that would foster NIL opportunities for all Gamecocks student-athletes. This involved ensuring that student-athletes were educated on how to manage NIL opportunities, how to stay compliant with NCAA regulations, and how to maximize their earning potential without compromising their eligibility.

South Carolina has been proactive in partnering with NIL platforms and resources that can help student-athletes get connected with potential sponsors and businesses. These partnerships have been essential in helping athletes across various sports gain opportunities to monetize their brands. Tanner emphasizes that it’s not just about the “high-profile” athletes—like football and basketball players—getting NIL deals, but about ensuring that athletes in all sports have the tools and support to take advantage of NIL in a way that is fair and equitable.

“We’ve worked hard to create an environment where every athlete has an opportunity to explore NIL,” Tanner says. “While some sports, like football and basketball, tend to get more attention in the NIL space, we’re committed to ensuring that all our athletes, regardless of sport, have access to the resources they need to succeed.”

For South Carolina, this approach has proven to be successful, as athletes from a variety of sports have signed deals, ranging from social media promotions to local business partnerships. Tanner believes that one of the strengths of South Carolina’s NIL strategy is the school’s commitment to educating student-athletes on financial literacy and helping them make informed decisions about how to manage their money and build sustainable careers beyond college sports.

3. The Challenges of NIL: Maintaining Fairness and Compliance

While NIL presents many opportunities, it also brings with it a host of challenges. One of the most pressing concerns for many athletic administrators is maintaining fairness and compliance across the board. Without a clear national framework for NIL, each state’s regulations vary, and programs like South Carolina’s must constantly stay on top of shifting rules and guidelines. Additionally, the prospect of boosters using NIL to attract recruits to specific programs has raised questions about the potential for competitive imbalance.

Tanner acknowledges the concerns around NIL, particularly when it comes to the recruiting process. “There are certainly some challenges,” he says. “The most important thing is that we want to ensure our athletes are receiving fair and equitable opportunities, but at the same time, we don’t want to be in a position where it feels like NIL is a recruiting tool or that there are unfair advantages.”

While NIL has the potential to impact recruiting by providing athletes with financial incentives to choose one program over another, Tanner emphasizes that South Carolina’s focus has always been on building long-term relationships with recruits and ensuring that student-athletes choose South Carolina for the right reasons—academics, athletic development, and a positive team culture.

“We want athletes to choose South Carolina because they want to be here, because they believe in our program and what we stand for,” Tanner explains. “The challenge now is to make sure NIL doesn’t interfere with the decision-making process in a way that harms the integrity of college sports.”

4. Navigating the Intersection of NIL and the NCAA’s Role

Another significant aspect of the current NIL landscape is the role of the NCAA in regulating the space. Since NIL became legal, the NCAA has struggled to come up with a uniform set of rules and guidelines for how NIL should be handled across the board. As a result, schools and conferences are left to implement their own policies while attempting to stay in compliance with NCAA standards.

Tanner is vocal about the need for a unified approach from the NCAA on NIL. He believes that the lack of a national framework has created confusion for schools and student-athletes alike. The varying state laws and lack of clear enforcement policies make it difficult for athletic departments to stay fully compliant, particularly when dealing with boosters, who may inadvertently cross the line between supporting athletes and attempting to influence recruitment.

“I think there needs to be a consistent framework across the country,” Tanner says. “Right now, schools are left to figure things out on their own, and that creates a bit of uncertainty. A national standard would benefit everyone and ensure that there is greater fairness and clarity in how NIL is administered.”

Tanner’s position underscores a broader sentiment among college athletic administrators: While NIL has created new opportunities for student-athletes, it also calls for greater coordination among governing bodies like the NCAA, conferences, and individual programs to ensure that the system remains fair and sustainable in the long term.

5. Future of NIL: Empowering Athletes for Long-Term Success

Looking ahead, Ray Tanner is optimistic about the future of NIL, especially with its potential to empower student-athletes to take control of their financial futures. While NIL has opened new doors for college athletes, Tanner believes that the long-term impact of this change will be felt most in the areas of financial literacy, personal branding, and career development beyond sports.

“I think the next phase of NIL is about making sure our athletes are prepared for life after sports,” Tanner explains. “It’s not just about making money while you’re in college. It’s about helping our athletes build a foundation for success, whether that’s through their brand, their business ventures, or the skills they develop during their time at South Carolina.”

South Carolina has taken steps to create programs that teach student-athletes how to leverage their name, image, and likeness in a responsible way. This includes partnerships with business leaders, entrepreneurs, and alumni who can provide guidance on how to build sustainable careers beyond athletics. Tanner sees this as an important aspect of the NIL revolution, one that will have lasting benefits for student-athletes long after they leave campus.

“We want our student-athletes to be well-rounded individuals,” Tanner says. “Whether they go on to play professional sports or enter the business world, we want them to leave South Carolina with the skills and knowledge to succeed. NIL is just one piece of the puzzle in helping them build that future.”