Opening NIL Money to Foreign Athletes: A business opportunity for NCAA Baseball and MLB

The NCAA’s decision to allow student-athletes to monetize their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) has transformed the landscape of college sports. With NIL deals now generating over $1 billion annually, college athletes have become valuable marketing assets for brands, universities, and sponsors. However, despite the economic potential, international student-athletes remain largely excluded from this system due to restrictive visa policies. Expanding NIL opportunities to include foreign players particularly from Central and South America, as well as Japan could significantly enhance not only the careers of these athletes but also the commercial value of NCAA baseball and its connection to Major League Baseball (MLB).

For universities, the presence of elite international athletes has always been a selling point, driving both enrollment and athletic program prestige. Schools with strong baseball programs, such as LSU, Vanderbilt, and Texas, invest millions in recruitment, facilities, and coaching, with the expectation that their athletes will elevate the school’s brand. Allowing foreign athletes to benefit from NIL would provide colleges with a new avenue for international exposure. In a sport where talent pools stretch far beyond U.S. borders, players from Central and South America and Japan represent significant untapped branding and sponsorship potential.

Baseball has long been deeply embedded in the culture of Central and South America, producing some of the sport’s most iconic figures. Countries like the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, and Mexico have continuously supplied MLB with elite talent, with nearly 30% of current MLB players hailing from Latin America. The Dominican Republic alone has produced over 100 MLB players in the past decade, including superstars like Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Despite this dominance at the professional level, many Latin American players bypass the NCAA system entirely, often signing with MLB teams as international free agents at a young age.

Opening NIL deals to Latin American athletes could change this dynamic, making college baseball a more attractive path for young players. Instead of immediately entering MLB academies or minor league systems where salaries are low and career risks are high talented prospects could play at elite U.S. college programs while benefiting from NIL sponsorships, endorsements, and exposure. This would not only provide a safer financial route but also improve player development, ensuring that more Latin American athletes arrive in the MLB as polished, well-rounded professionals.

The marketing potential for universities embracing Latin American talent would be immense. Baseball is more than just a sport in these countries it is a cultural passion. A major NCAA program featuring top Dominican, Venezuelan, or Cuban players could attract Latin American media coverage, sponsorships from international brands, and a surge in merchandise sales in Spanish-speaking markets. Schools that position themselves as prime destinations for Latin American talent could establish deeper partnerships with MLB academies, secure high-profile endorsements, and significantly expand their global brand footprint.

The business case for Japan’s inclusion in the NIL structure is just as compelling. The Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league is considered the second-best baseball league in the world, producing MLB superstars like Shohei Ohtani, Ichiro Suzuki, and Yu Darvish. However, the traditional structure of Japanese baseball has made it difficult for young players to transition to MLB early in their careers. If Japanese student-athletes could benefit from NIL deals while playing in the NCAA, it would create a new pipeline for Japanese talent to acclimate to American baseball before turning professional.

Roki Sasaki MLB's 1st ranked international prospect

The financial incentives for both universities and corporate sponsors would be enormous. Japanese players generate massive brand loyalty, and the success of figures like Shohei Ohtani has proven that their presence can drive international viewership and merchandise sales. In 2023, Ohtani’s jersey was the top-selling MLB jersey worldwide, and his sponsorship deals have made him one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. If a major NCAA program were to land a highly ranked Japanese prospect, the marketing benefits would extend beyond the university itself, drawing in Japanese corporate sponsors, increasing broadcast rights value, and expanding the school’s footprint in Asia.

From a branding perspective, the ability of individual players to cultivate their own NIL deals would not only help them financially but also increase the overall marketability of NCAA baseball. The modern sports economy is built on athlete-driven branding, with young players leveraging social media, endorsements, and personal brand partnerships to create revenue streams long before they turn professional. Expanding NIL to include international players would accelerate this trend, turning top Latin American and Japanese baseball prospects into marketable stars before they ever set foot in an MLB stadium.

For MLB, the benefits of opening NIL money to foreign athletes would extend beyond just a larger talent pool. A more structured college to pro pathway would create better-prepared athletes, increase fan engagement at the amateur level, and establish the NCAA as a true global development league for baseball. If MLB teams could scout and invest in players earlier while those players also develop their own marketability it would result in higher-quality, more commercially viable prospects entering professional baseball.

At a time when both college and professional baseball are looking for ways to expand their reach and revenue, the NIL model represents an untapped business opportunity. By opening NIL money to international athletes, the NCAA would strengthen its role in the global baseball ecosystem, universities would enhance their marketing and revenue potential, and MLB would benefit from a richer, more financially stable talent pool. In a sport increasingly driven by global markets and branding power, the business case for NIL expansion is as strong as ever.