• by Colin Kirkland , July 10, 2023

Instagram has announced “NIL Empower 3.0,” its third incubator program meant to empower female college athletes by maximizing name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities made possible through the Supreme Court’s 2021 decision to allow student athletes to profit off their NIL.  

The social media app is looking for 30 female athletes to work with the Meta sports partnerships team, industry leaders and major brands “to gain education, mentorship and opportunities” aimed at helping them succeed in the “NIL Era,” the company wrote in a blog post. 

Fewer than 2% of college athletes go on to play professional sports, and as reported by Forbes, under 7% of the revenue generated by the NCAA (men’s football and basketball) is given to athletes through scholarships and stipends. 

The Court’s ruling against the NCAA has provided college athletes who don’t move on to play professional sports with more options to monetize their college sports careers. 

Instagram’s incubator program is five months long and will take place between August and December. Through five educational workshops led by the Meta sports partnerships team and industry professionals, accepted applicants are meant to learn “what it takes to build a brand, grow an audience and monetize.” 

Meta is promising accepted athletes at least one NIL deal, along with mentorship, priority status for Meta incentive programs and amplification opportunities with Meta partners. 

To apply, female athletes must play for D1-NAIA divisions, and have at least one semester of eligibility remaining during the 2023-2024 academic year as well as willingness to collaborate with the Empower cohort on content opportunities. The submission deadline is July 23rd. 

Athletes who aren’t accepted into the program will still receive educational NIL resources and be invited to join an informational webinar designed to provide resources, connections and opportunities for female college athletes, according to Instagram.