In the summer of 2021, high school and college athletes were granted legal rights to their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), allowing them to make money from their personal brand.
Senior forward Aminah Baruwa of Lehigh women’s soccer team is one of many college athletes who have the opportunity to obtain NIL deals.
When Baruwa finished high school in 2023, NIL rights were being regularly debated.
At the time, Baruwa said she was creating content for fun, producing “a day in the life” and “get ready with me” videos for her social media.
She said she took the opportunity to monetize her content and continue to grow her personal brand, angling her content towards her audience’s interests and putting it on platforms where she could apply for NIL deals. This led to brands seeing her content and reaching out to her.
Her first NIL deal was with CVS, and she has continued to monetize from content creation ever since, including with some local businesses.
For the past three years, Baruwa has individually sourced most of her deals from a website called Postgame.
With NIL deals, Baruwa said athletes always have to keep their image up to the best standard, because everything is viewed closely.
“I keep in mind that I do have a personal image to uphold and that everything I do is being recorded,” Baruwa said. “So I can’t have any bad reactions to anything, and even if I make a bad play, I have to make sure I treat everyone with respect.”
She said it is important to be mindful of how athletes react, even when it may not go their way.
Senior midfielder Rylie Moschella said Baruwa is a “beast” on the field and cares about the team.
“She wants to win and has a really good mentality that is contagious to other people,” Moschella said.
Moschella said Baruwa is very humble, and doesn’t brag about the money she makes on her deals.
Senior defender Elliot Forney also said Baruwa is a hard worker.
“You can tell she wants to do well for the team and puts her effort into everything,” Forney said. “Off the field, it translates well. She is just an upbeat and happy person in general.”
Baruwa said her teammates also engage in NIL deals, but are not utilizing them as frequently as she does.
With a steady flow of income coming from NIL deals, Baruwa looks at the money she gains as a source of investment.
“I have a high yield savings account, so I save it (the money from the deals),” Baruwa said .
Baruwa said most of her deals are not over the $600 tax limit, so she can save or invest the money tax free.
Not having to worry about tuition, Baruwa said she also uses the money she gets from the deals to meet her daily needs, like buying groceries and other day-to-day necessities..
“I don’t really have to ask my parents for money as much for things,” she said. “I kind of can fully support myself in college based on this money.”
Baruwa has a brother who is also in college, and said her NIL income helps take the financial burden off her family.
After graduating Lehigh, she said she plans to continue pursuing her soccer career after she graduates from Lehigh, and if not, she has a backup plan that correlates to her major.
“I hope to play soccer professionally after I graduate,” Baruwas said. “But if not, I would definitely want to work at a type of pharmaceutical company to help people and make an impact in their lives, which would be important to me.”
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