NCAA to Allow College Athletes to Profit off of Their Name, Image, and Likeness 5 hours ago cuatower By Garrett Farrell For many years the NCAA has profited off of the fame of athletes who play at top Division I schools while forbidding those same athletes from earning anything for themselves. Athletes like Trevor Lawrence, who was recently taken first overall in the NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars, were effectively prohibited from using what is referred to as their NIL, or Name, Image, and Likeness, to build a brand for themselves. This all changed on July 1, however, when the NCAA announced that they would be rescinding this rule and allowing players to sign endorsement deals with companies.