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The Money Game is a docuseries streaming on Amazon Prime Video that dives deep into seismic shifts within college sports since introducing the "name, image, and likeness" (NIL) policies. This new, landmark legislation for the NCAA, established in 2021, allowed student-athletes to make money from their brands for the first time in history.
Set to release on September 20, 2024, The Money Game is a series offering unprecedented access into how that policy has changed college athletics and the lives of athletes. It was filmed on campus during the 2023-24 Louisiana State University (LSU) athletic season. This series profiles well-known athletes, including Olivia Dunne, Angel Reese, and Jayden Daniels, who have reaped significant financial rewards from NIL deals.
While NIL policies are the backbone, The Money Game goes a step further to document the ripple effect on recruitment in sports, the visibility of athletes, and the economic repercussions in the long term. Shaquille O'Neal's Jersey Legends, Campfire Studios, and Axios Media present this series honest-to-goodness, all-access look at one of the most dramatic shifts in college athletic history.
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NIL: A Game-Changer for college athletes
When the NIL policy took effect in 2021, a new frontier opened in collegiate athletics, making it legal for student-athletes to profit from endorsement deals, sponsorships, and their social media influence. Before the new rules, athletes could not receive any compensation for their brand as long as they were competing within the NCAA.
This policy has received significant criticism regarding student exploitation, but with NIL, it all changed and offered athletes new ways to gain income. Through The Money Game, the series does a deeper dive into how those rules have equalized the playing field in every aspect of college athletics.
Athletes like Olivia are now social media celebrities with millions of followers, and Angel Reese, who had one of the best seasons in women's basketball this year, can leverage their celebrity status in lucrative endorsement deals. The docuseries examines how the NIL policies make a difference in the lives of athletes in lesser-known sports and provide financial security previously unimaginable.
LSU: A hotbed for NIL success stories
LSU is one of the central universities in The Money Game. The institution has been leading from the front on maximizing the NIL policy. With 51 team national championships and some of the highest-earning NIL athletes, LSU provides the perfect backdrop for this docuseries.
The series features Olivia Dunne, one of the most recognizable faces in college gymnastics, and Angel Reese, a basketball sensation. The fact that these athletes would be the face of the series speaks more to how NIL rules are helping "non-revenue" athletes, usually in any sport other than football and basketball, find lucrative opportunities.
Football star Jayden Daniels, the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, is featured in the docuseries, which shows how the NIL deals are shifting the recruiting and player prominence landscape in college football. The tales of these athletes are an example of how stress-filled it is to stay on top of the field while juggling their new financial responsibilities and public personas.
Behind the Scenes: The producers and vision for The Money Game
Directed by Drea Cooper, The Money Game's sturdy production team includes Jersey Legends, Shaquille O'Neal's production company, and Axios Media. Campfire Studios also played a major role, as it brings a strong storytelling portfolio in the sports documentary space.
The ambition of the production team is to offer full access into the 2023-24 athletic season, exploring how athletes and coaches navigate institutions through the complexities of NIL deals. Since the series focuses on LSU athletes, it offers insight into how NIL policies shape recruitment, training, and their social lives.
More importantly, viewers will take away much more from the docuseries than a behind-the-scenes look into one athletic season. It goes deeper into what would be a rapidly changing relationship between the athletes and the commerciality of sports, particularly the ones who have recently combined academics with sports performance and lucrative endorsement deals.
The promise is that Amazon Prime Video's The Money Game is a deep dive into the actualities of NIL policies and how they've transformed college athletics. Through a focus on LSU and its high-profile athletes, the docuseries peels away layers regarding the opportunities and challenges of being a student-athlete in the NIL era.
As the NIL revolution continues to upend collegiate sports, The Money Game shines a light on the impacts on the athletes, institutions, and future of college sports at an appropriate time.
For viewers who want to understand how sports and business interact, The Money Game is a must-see: they obtain an exclusive first look at a world in rapid flux-one that is rewriting what it means to be a college athlete in today's mediascape.
