Michigan State University hires name, image and likeness advisor
EAST LANSING, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Student-athletes can make a lot of money off their name, image and likeness, or NIL. But there's a lot to navigate, and that's where Michigan State University's new NIL Advisor comes in.
"Everybody looks at the obvious, which is that they get money, which is a good thing. But I think it goes much deeper than that, you know, to me NIL is synonymous with education," said Darien Harris, MSU Assistant Athletic Director/NIL and Special Advisor to the Athletic Director.
Harris tells CBS News Detroit that NIL provides students with an opportunity to learn life skills like entrepreneurship and branding.
"Now we can really run financial education that's specific to these student-athletes," he said. "They can learn about businesses because now, the student-athlete can have their own business. They can learn about nonprofits. They learn about contracts early on. They're learning about taxes."
A former MSU linebacker and team captain, Harris will be overseeing NIL for all of the school's student-athletes. Harris says NIL isn't without its downsides.
"We all remember when we were 18 and 22 years old. It's very easy to look around and say who's getting what. I don't have this. I should have that. How does this person get this? I don't get that," Harris said. "So, that creates a locker room divide where, obviously beforehand, everybody was on the same even playing field. We were all broke college students."
Student-athletes will have access to his support and guidance starting this fall.
