Transcending sports: public demand for gender equity in name, image, and likeness (NIL) policy and its connection to the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy debate in higher education

Abstract Public demand suggests that salience and opinion shape how individuals interpret policy, creating openings for framing and value branding to influence those views. I apply this framework to assess public demand for gender equity in name, image, and likeness (NIL) policy and examine how it aligns with the broader debate in higher education concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Using survey data from 1,510 respondents across five states, I find that attitudes toward DEI significantly structure views of gender equity in NIL. Public demand for equity in NIL follows traditional predictors, including political ideology, age, education, and gender, while support for college sports has an unexpected negative association. I also identify foundational connections between NIL and support for regulating diversity and equity in higher education, suggesting that NIL functions as an emerging equity policy domain shaped by the same political and cultural forces that structure views of DEI.