The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games were yet another great success for the United States on an international stage. The U.S. finished second in medal count (33) and second in gold medals (12), trailing Norway in both categories. However, the recent prevalence of NIL in college athletics and the uneven dispersal of money among sports raises questions of how long the U.S. will be able to continue its dominance.
The majority of NIL deals — and the NIL deals that are most lucrative — are typically found in the most popular American sports, namely football, basketball and, on a smaller scale, baseball and softball.