The advent of name, image and likeness, the renaissance of the transfer portal and the shifting landscape of conference realignment have all ushered in a new era of collegiate athletics. 

As part of the Big Ten, Northwestern will continue to learn and adapt with the times — something University President Michael Schill understands.

“It’s sort of like a perfect storm of different factors and the future of intercollegiate athletes is really uncertain,” Schill said. “It’s going to look different than it looks today.”

In September, NU announced a pair of NIL initiatives designed to reward student-athletes for their work on and off the field. 

The University’s partnership with global sports merchandising brand Fanatics allows Wildcat fans to buy personalized merchandise of their favorite NU athletes. Additionally, student-athletes on scholarship can now accept academic awards as of this year.

Schill called the current state of collegiate sports “challenging,” but said he believes NIL initiatives are feasible as long as the influence of school boosters is limited.

With extra transfer eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the one-time transfer rule, the portal has also become a boon for thousands of athletes.

NU knows all too well that the transfer portal can giveth and taketh away. Look no further than exits from football’s Brandon Joseph, baseball’s Anthony Calarco and men’s basketball’s Pete Nance. Meanwhile, some programs have benefited from the portal, gaining players like Clara Roth on the field hockey team, Sammy Mueller to the women’s lacrosse program and Pat Spencer on the men’s basketball squad.

The ramifications of the portal are not yet fully known, but capitalizing on the talent available should be a priority for NU teams in the Schill era.

Schill also mentioned the possible formation of two “super conferences” in the Big Ten and SEC. With the Big Ten adding USC and UCLA in 2024 — and possibly more schools in the near future — the impact of cross-country travel on student-athletes is a concern, according to Schill.

All in all, there’s more questions than answers right now about the next phase of collegiate athletics. But Schill’s ability to adequately navigate a space that is evolving every day may be paramount to NU’s future athletic success. 

Regardless of on-field success or lack thereof, Schill made it clear that NU will continue to prioritize student welfare.

“I believe very strongly that our values at Northwestern are always going to put the student first,” Schill said. “That’s really important, and it isn’t the case at every school in Division I.”

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Twitter: @CervantesPAlex 

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