Miami's NIL Superstars Haley and Hanna Cavinder Participate in SI Swimsuit Show

After announcing their returns to the University of Miami, the NIL superstar Cavinder twins participated in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show.

Hanna Cavinder and Haley Cavinder arrive on the red carpet / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Name, image, and likeness has been used as a tool by many programs across the country to boost their ability to land some of their top recruiting targets across multiple sports, but for Haley and Hanna Cavinder of the University of Miami, they have been able to cash in for their content off the court.

The 23 year olds have become viral sensations online, racking up 4.5 million followers on TikTok and 331 thousand on Instagram.

After both starred in basketball for Gilbert High School in Arizona, with Haley being named the Arizona 5A Player of the Year following her senior season in 2018-19, they decided to enroll at Fresno State together after they each eclipsed the 2,000 point total for their high school careers.

The Cavinders were at Fresno State from 2019-22, with both being named to the Mountain West All-Freshman Team in 2020 and Haley winning the Mountain West Freshman of the Year award.

After Haley was named to the All-Mountain West Team three times and Hanna named to it twice, they once again decided to play collegiate basketball together after transferring to Miami in 2022.

They played one season for the Hurricanes before deciding they would not return for their final year of eligibility, citing their want to pursue business adventures off the court further.

This stemmed from them becoming social media sensations after the COVID lockdown sent them home toward the end of their freshman seasons. Upon making joint videos together, their profile exploded and they had racked up a huge following.

When the NIL policies changed, they were able to cash in.

Both seemed ready to put collegiate athletics behind them and retired from college athletics.

That is until Haley decided she wanted to keep playing basketball and was willing to do so without her sister Hanna.

Haley entered the transfer portal and committed to TCU for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

Then, Hanna decided to change course as well, prompting Haley to reverse her decision and decommit from TCU as the Cavinder twins announced their return to Miami.

With their social media presence at the peak of their reach, they were invited to participate in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show, something they called a "dream come true."

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A post shared by Haley & Hanna Cavinder (@cavindertwins)

With these talented players back in the mix, Miami is hoping they can build upon their impressive year in 2023 where they made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.

According to On3's NIL valuations, Haley sits 34th on their Top 100 list, while Hanna comes in at 39th, both having an undisclosed valuation that is tied to their social media presence.

These are the NIL stories that athletes outside of the dominant football and men's basketball programs are able to utilize to cash in on the popularity of their name, image, and likeness.