Here’s how much Justin Fields should be paid at Ohio State
By Mark Powell
Ohio State football star Justin Fields should already be a millionaire.
The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on college sports overshadowed much of what should’ve been a momentous year for amateur athletes as a whole, as the NCAA and its conferences are beginning to bend on allowing those under scholarship to earn money on their name, image and likeness.
Especially in the larger, financially-sound college sports, such as football and men’s and women’s basketball, athletes have the potential to finally earn some of the capital themselves that had solely been going to the universities.
Most of these changes won’t go into effect until 2021 now that next season is in doubt thanks to a pandemic, thus slowing the momentum of such an influential change. The earning potential tends to favor a select few, especially in college football, where Heisman contenders annually dominate jersey sales and program marketing campaigns. Look no further than Justin Fields.
How much money could Ohio State’s Justin Fields earn off his name, image and likeness?
Opendorse, a platform that documents paid opportunities for professional athletes, estimates that Fields could earn upwards to $1,348,688 in a calendar year based on his social media influence and brand. Fields’ Instagram account has over 409,000 followers, and his Twitter account is at 136,000 followers and counting. Were a concerted effort made, a Fields ad or promotion could reach a half-million fans through all social media platforms. Per estimates, that’s a rough estimate of $1,586 per Twitter post and $11,382 for an Instagram shoutout.
Such numbers are jarring, and if done strategically and surrounding actual life updates, hype videos and the like, can be extraordinarily effective, something Fields and top collegiate athletes will soon figure out.
While Fields himself is unlikely to earn an income in 2020, as he’s projected to enter the 2021 NFL Draft, it’s still enticing to wonder what could’ve been had the Ohio State product benefitted from such a system.
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