Solly Fulp, ​Learfield’s head of NIL, doesn’t think the rapid surge is a coincidence. Five years later, women’s sports are beginning to close the gap, with women’s basketball ranking third in all sports and softball creeping into the top five behind baseball. Female athlete engagement in NIL activities more than doubled in 2026, growing from 2,136 to 4,772. Twenty-two national brands struck deals with college athletes over the fiscal year, including Geico, SeatGeek, State Farm, EA Sports, Uber, AT&T and Marriott. Fulp said the return on investment is high for all parties when athletes pursue deals catered to their specific passions and interests.