We've spent this summer writing about the rules, the polls, and the deals shaping college sports. Now it's time for a quick word about us. faNILy launches on September 3, 2026, and we want to keep this announcement simple and clear.
The short version
faNILy is a fan-to-athlete NIL platform. Fans 18 and older can follow college athletes and buy digital content and experiences from them.
That's it. We'd rather tell you exactly what faNILy is than promise a long list of features. We'll share more when it's live.
Why the fan side of NIL matters
A few things we've covered this summer explain why we think the fan relationship deserves attention:
- NIL reaches well beyond football. The College Sports Commission's January report found 44% of athletes with deals cleared through its NIL Go clearinghouse played sports other than football and men's basketball, per On3.
- The market is big. As of the CSC's May report, NIL Go had cleared about $242 million in deals since launching in June 2025, On3 reported.
- Value is the standard. The CSC has said it rejects deals that lack a valid business purpose or pay at rates out of line with what similarly situated people earn. A fan paying for something real from an athlete is about as clear an exchange of value as it gets.
What we've been writing about
If you're new here, this blog covers the news that shapes how fans and athletes connect. This summer that's meant the Protect College Sports Act and its twists in the Senate, the White House executive order that took effect August 1, the NIL Go clearinghouse, high school NIL rules, preseason polls, and the women's volleyball events putting $1 million on the line in the season's first week.
We'll keep doing that after launch. Our goal is coverage that's straight and useful: what happened, who said it, and what it means for the people in the stands and the athletes on the field.
Who faNILy is for
faNILy is for fans 18 and older who want to follow college athletes more closely, and for the college athletes they follow. If you've ever found a new favorite player during a season and wanted a way to keep up with them, that's the idea.
Mark the date
faNILy launches September 3, 2026. Until then, we'll keep covering the start of the college sports season, from Week 0 football to volleyball's big opening weekend. Thanks for reading along, and we'll see you at launch.