Everyone knows about the big-time NIL deals that are running rampant throughout the DI level. However, NIL has started to slowly make its way into the Division II level as well. In this article, I will discuss the dynamics of NIL at the DII level. 

What DII Colleges Have NIL Deals?

This past spring, Winona State University partnered with MOGL. MOGL is a company that empowers athletes in the professional marketplace by helping them find opportunities to monetize their name, image, and likeness. Winona State also announced that Force Factor, a performance nutrition brand, will be part of the deal as well. This deal was very groundbreaking in the Division II NIL world. MOGL is hoping this deal will encourage other DII schools to participate more actively in NIL. 

Additionally, Northeastern State University, a DII school in Oklahoma, announced this summer that they were stepping into the NIL game through a deal with Influxer. Influxer, like MOGL, is a company that is designed to aid student-athletes in finding NIL deals with companies in the surrounding community. 

Other DII schools that are getting involved in the NIL world include Metro State and Adams State.

Are DII Athletes getting the same amount of money as DI athletes?

No, DII athletes aren't signing the big-money deals that some DI athletes are getting. However, through the deals with these third-party applications (Influxer, Opendorse, MOGL), DII athletes do have opportunities to make smaller amounts of money. DII schools don't have the large-scale donors that DI universities have, but they usually have great support from the surrounding community.

The landscape of DII athletics has not changed as drastically as the DI landscape has changed. This is mainly because DII schools prioritize academics and graduation over athletics. Athletes won't transfer to a DII school to receive more NIL money. The money simply isn't there yet.