Duke five-star freshman Cooper Flagg has certainly made a splash on the court in his first season with the Duke Blue Devils, but arguably has had an even more significant impact on the NIL world. According to On3’s men’s basketball NIL valuation rankings, Cooper Flagg is worth $2.6 million–the highest total in the sport. Flagg has a handful of NIL deals, his most notable agreements being with Gatorade and his home state of Maine’s New Balance.

 Name, image, and likeness (NIL) has grown over the past few years in college athletics, and has even sparked some controversy among players, coaches, and fans. Some believe that college athletics has been ruined by the introduction of NIL due to student athletes no longer playing college sports to improve, but rather to make the most money. Others believe that NIL creates exciting opportunities for student-athletes and motivates these athletes to perform their best. 

For the 6’9” forward out of Newport, Maine who was the #1 ranked recruit in his graduating class, NIL has changed his basketball career for the better. Flagg has performed his best this season, averaging 20 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and maintaining a 48.7% field goal percentage per game. Many argue that this spike in performance may be due to motivation from companies providing his NIL deals, but the debate rages on: is NIL ruining college basketball for athletes like Cooper Flagg?