OU softball’s Jayda Coleman is hitting HRs in the NIL game
NORMAN, Okla. (BVM) – Oklahoma Sooners star outfield Jayda Coleman is dominating the NIL game in college softball.
Coleman’s potential yearly NIL earnings are $63,000 according to On3 – which ranks her as the No. 1 earner in name, image and likeness deals among all Oklahoma softball players.
On a national scale, Coleman ranks behind three players in NIL compensation: UCLA’s Maya Brady ($67,000), Nebraska’s Jordy Bahl ($74,000) and Mississippi State’s Brylie St. Clair ($113,000).
Coleman herself is extremely marketable as a three-time national champion, the 2023 Big 12 player of the year and a top three overall player from the 2023 season. She is largely making money as one of the most followed softball players on social media; she has 75,000 followers on Instagram, 87,000 on TikTok and 15,000 on X.
So far, Coleman has lined up paid partnership deals with Taco Bell, Degree, Hal Smith Restaurants, Cracker Jack, H&R Block, Alba Botanica, Outback Steakhouse and more.
But for Coleman, her estimated NIL worth is about more than the money.
“That’s the biggest thing that a lot of female athletes want to do (with NIL) is be a role model for the little girls watching,” Coleman previously said. “So the little girls do know, ‘Oh, I can do this. I can be an athlete and make my own money. I don’t have to depend on a man. I can pay my own rent. I can pay my own car and do my own things and I don’t need anyone to help me.’”
Coleman has also been speaking out about how female athletes aren’t making as much as male athletes. In fact, the top 100 earners in college sports are all making between $500,000-$6 million in name, image and likeness deals – but only six of them are women.
“That’s probably one of the biggest things that I really want my fan base to know is that women I feel like have always been at a disadvantage and I just want them to know that we can do whatever we want,” Coleman previously said.
“I want to see all these other females making money as if they deserve it,” Coleman previously told Sports Illustrated.
A study by NIL company Opendorse reveals that college softball players make up only .8% of the NIL compensation in college sports – while basketball and football make up 88.9% of total compensation.
“As a female, we do see male football players getting these expensive cars and getting so much,” Coleman previously told Sports Illustrated. “As a female athlete especially, like in softball, we see how the pro sport is growing — but we’ll never get paid like how the NFL football players are getting paid — at least maybe not in my lifetime.”
Notably, Coleman is engaged to Oklahoma football player Billy Bowman, who holds an NIL valuation of $98,000.
Overall, Coleman is hitting home runs in the NIL game because she’s embracing the movement while advocating for change.
“If we keep pushing this stuff, if female athletes actually get into NIL and spreading their faith or spreading whatever they’re really into – that’s what’s going to build us as women and make us well known to where people do know women are important and we put in the same effort as everyone else and that we deserve what everyone else gets.” Coleman previously said.
