AROUND NIL | The NIL Influence Surge: Women Athletes Outpace and Outshine
- Golf NIL
- Nov 4
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 6
Nov. 4, 2025—In Opendorse's latest report, "Women's Sports: Powering the College Athlete Influencer Movement," women’s college sports are no longer playing catch-up—they’ve become the main event, fueling a seismic shift in the NIL and influencer landscape.
While direct school revenue still tips toward men, the real momentum is with women athletes, who are powering commercial growth at a breakneck pace. Surging social followings and hyper-engaged fans have fueled 4.5-times-faster NIL revenue growth in women’s sports compared to men’s from 2022 to 2024, with total spend projected to skyrocket to $663.3 million by 2027–28.
This new wave of college stars is redefining what modern fandom, marketing, and sports culture can be, framing women’s college sports as both a growth engine and the blueprint for the next era of sports business.
Megha Ganne, Stanford senior and Golf NIL College Women's No. 2, wearing sponsors Ernst & Young, Polo Ralph Lauren, TaylorMade, and Delta at the 2025 U.S. Women's Amateur | Darren Carroll/USGA
Oct. 26, 2025—Former pros, college standouts, and Senators Cantwell, Cory Booker, and Richard Blumenthal say the SCORE Act rigs the game, cutting off NIL and labor rights while handing the NCAA the keys.
NFL alum Dwayne Allen says mental health and post-career benefits sound good, but only if they don’t come at the cost of silencing athlete voices. Spencer Haywood, whose Supreme Court case opened the NBA to underclassmen, sees history on repeat, with old restrictions that left many athletes with empty pockets. Meghann Burke of the National Women's Soccer League Players Association calls SCORE a lock on Title IX inequality that fails to level the playing field for women's sports.
Critics say SCORE shuts down athlete bargaining, puts a ceiling on earnings, and lets schools write rules in private, hiding contracts from public view. Cantwell calls it a power grab by college sports’ richest leagues, with top conferences holding the remote and pocketing the payouts. No wonder athletes are lining up behind alternatives like the Student Athlete Fairness and Enforcement Act (SAFE Act) and player unions—routes meant to put leverage on the field, not just in the boardroom.
Supporters argue the chaos ends here. SCORE promises a single standard, $2.8 billion in athlete backpay, and a 16-team mandate for top programs. They say this bill draws real boundaries. Athletes get enforceable protections, schools get stability, everyone gets clear rules, and a real path forward.
