Philanthropists urged to support women's sports amid NIL pressure
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 20, 2026, 4:05 PM
Last updated Aug 20, 2026
In light of increasing commercial pressures from NIL agreements on college sports, advocates are pressing for philanthropic support to bolster women’s athletics and Olympic sports. Danette Leighton, CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation, highlighted the need for endowments for programs like women's gymnastics and men’s tennis. With college sports serving as a major contributor to U.S. Olympians, stakeholders express concern over the potential imbalance caused by focusing funding on more profitable sports, like football and basketball. A Senate bill has been introduced aimed at ensuring funding and protections for Olympic and women's sports, as the athletic evolves with the new NIL framework.
- •Philanthropy could provide scholarships for women's gymnastics and men's tennis.
- •Danette Leighton calls for targeted funding to balance revenue distribution.
- •A Senate bill seeks to protect Olympic and women's sports amid NIL changes.
- •Tennessee Education Lottery CEO established a $12 million fund for women's athletics.
- •Concerns raised about the impact of NIL on overall athletic departments.
- 4:05 PMYahoo Sports — College sports advocates press philanthropy to buffer NIL's commercial pressure on women's sports
"While interest in women's sports is booming and Olympic sports organizers lock in preparations for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, advocates worry that the college athletic programs that feed both those systems may be strained further by increased demands from bigger sports. Olympic sports haven’t had the opportunity to thrive on their own, according to Women’s Sports Foundation CEO Danette Leighton, because the business has centered one product: college football. Philanthropy can protect those teams, she said, by endowing scholarships for women’s gymnastics or men’s tennis.
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