Welcome to the first issue of The Dotted Line. Every Monday: AiC athlete spotlights, NIL news, branding tips, and partner picks.
BEFORE YOU SIGN
Every NIL deal is a business contract.
Before You Sign: The NIL Contract Checklist is a free guide for athletes and families. It covers:
What to check before any signature
What to do after you sign
18 contract terms, defined in plain English
WEEKEND RECAP
Noah Fifita · QB · Arizona
33/45 · 417 yards · 1 TD
A passing or rushing touchdown in 28 consecutive games.
Watch the TD →
Braden Atkinson · QB · Oregon State
33/59 · 373 yards · 1 TD at Fresno State
2,977 passing yards this season, the most in the nation.
Scooter Jackson · DB · UCLA
Interception vs. Nevada. The Bruins remain undefeated
Watch the INT →
Keyan Bennet · TE · UNLV
Touchdown this weekend.
Watch the TD →
WELCOME TO AiC
Quinten Joyner · RB · Texas Tech
Quinten Joyner has joined AiC.
BY THE NUMBERS: WHAT COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYERS ARE BEING PAID
On Oct. 30, the College Sports Commission released the first-ever position-by-position pay data in college sports. Here’s what Power Four schools are paying in revenue sharing in 2026:
Position | Median | Top 10% earn at least |
|---|---|---|
QB | $230,000 | $1.61M |
DL | $150,000 | $509,500 |
OL | $133,000 | $512,000 |
DB | $115,000 | $416,000 |
LB | $112,500 | $425,500 |
WR | $112,500 | $456,000 |
RB | $108,500 | $383,000 |
TE | $93,000 | $300,000 |
Outside the Power Four, it’s a different market. The median QB is paid $31,000 by his school, and other positions run $10,000–$18,000. The median third-party NIL deal for a non-Power Four player is about $1,500.
Read these numbers with context:
They only count athletes who were paid. Players receiving $0 aren’t included.
School revenue share and NIL are separate pools of money from different groups of players. Don’t add them together.
NIL figures cover deals cleared January–September 2026, and contract values aren’t necessarily per year.
Position groups combine different roles (edge vs. interior, corner vs. safety).
The bottom line: a benchmark is a starting point, not a price tag. Your value depends on your position, role, production, eligibility, health, and how the contract is written: when you get paid, what happens if you get hurt or transfer, and what you have to do to earn it. A big headline number with bad terms can be worth less than a smaller one with good terms.
That’s what a Front Office is for. Schedule a discovery call →
Source: College Sports Commission; On3, Oct. 30, 2026. Read the full data →
PERSONAL BRANDING: HELP YOURSELF
Marketability is not the same as playing time.
Brands don’t only sign starters. They sign athletes with an audience, and an audience is built off the field.
The case: Reggie Jones, Temple LB
Joined Temple as a walk-on and spent three seasons on the scout team.
In January, started a content series called “Road to One Tackle,” documenting his push to get on the field.
Made his first career tackle in this season’s opener against Rhode Island.
Grew from about 20,000 followers when he arrived at Temple to 174,000 on Instagram, with individual videos topping 100,000 views.
This season, he signed an NIL deal with McDonald’s.
One career tackle. One of the biggest brands in the world. The deal came from what he built, not his stat line.
How to make yourself marketable
Be authentic. Your story, personality and interests are what set you apart. Reggie’s story was a walk-on chasing one tackle.
Be unique. Find the angle only you can tell: your position, your path, your life outside football.
Create around it consistently. Pick a format and keep showing up. A series gives people a reason to come back.
Go beyond Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Write a blog. Start a newsletter or a podcast. Put out long-form posts on LinkedIn. Every channel you own grows your reach and your market value.
Own your audience. Followers on a platform belong to the platform. An email list or a site of your own belongs to you.
Your brand sets the ceiling on your NIL value. At AiC, branding, content and production are handled in house, so you can build it while you focus on football.
THE FRONT OFFICE
Overwhelming? Too much information? Good. That’s our job.
Opportunities, contracts, deliverables and your schedule, all handled. You focus on football.
Know an athlete, parent, or coach who should be reading this? Forward it along, or send them here to subscribe: The Dotted Line…
