NIL Has Saved Gymnasts From Having To Make Life-Changing Decision As Teens

There may not be a sport benefitting as much from the emergence of NIL than college gymnastics.

Aug 5, 2024; Paris, France; Jordan Chiles of the United States poses for a photo with her gold and bronze medasl after day three of the gymnastics event finals during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Having an opportunity to play a sport collegiately isn’t something everyone is afforded the chance to do. Even fewer can represent their countries at the Olympic Games. But, that is the natural path that athletes lucky enough can take.

That is, of course, unless you were a gymnast.

If you were going to represent your country in the Olympics in gymnastics, your college eligibility would be in peril. It was a major decision that Jordyn Wieber had to tackle ahead of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.

After winning the all-around world championship, she had a decision to make; go to college or pursue her Olympic dream and turn pro. Given how short a gymnast’s career can be, she opted for the professional route.

It ended up being the right decision, as Weiber took home gold as part of the “Fierce Five”. She made the most of the opportunity, but missing out on a collegiate career is something she still feels strongly about.

"At the time, the lifespan of a gymnast didn't seem to be very long," Wieber said, via Kaetlyn Liddy of NBC Sports. "Thinking back to being a 16-year-old making this decision, it's insane."

Now the head coach of the women’s gymnastics team at Arkansas, difficult decisions like that no longer have to be made. With athletes allowed to capitalize off their name, image, and likeness, we are seeing star gymnasts in the college ranks.

It has caused a major shift, for the better.

As shared by Liddy, “The gymnastics performed by the U.S. national team at world championships and the Olympics is called elite gymnastics, which is considerably more difficult than college gymnastics. The two systems are governed by separate rule books.

The new NIL rules not only enabled college gymnasts to reap financial rewards, but eased the boundaries between elite and collegiate gymnastics and enticed big names like Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey to compete in the sport at both levels.”

Before NIL emerged, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey all would have gone through the same excruciating process Weiber did 12 years ago. It felt like an unfair position to be put in, especially because there was no guarantee of making it to a stage as big as the Olympics.

Alas, that is no longer the case. After winning gold in Paris, Chiles and Carey are both returning to their college teams for the 2025 season.

"What a cool thing for the sport of gymnastics," Wieber said. "It's getting so many more eyes, so much more exposure and it's allowing some of these athletes who want to do both college and elite to help grow our sport."

Given the limited financial futures a gymnast has compared to someone playing basketball or football collegiately, it made sense for top performers to go pro as soon as possible. The Olympic Games provided them their stage to shine and earn endorsements, but NIL has opened a new door for them to participate in both the collegiate and elite worlds.

Look no further than LSU Lady Tigers star Livvy Dunne. She has parlayed her skills on the mat and a massive social media following into a NIL valuation of $4 million, second in collegiate sports behind only Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Sheduer Sanders.