That doesnt equate to popularity. It equates to marketability. Not the same thing.This probably says something about us as a society but Caitlin Clark isn't even close to being the most popular college athlete. AFAIK, the current title holder is LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne whose NIL value is over $3.5 million. By comparison, Caitlin Clark's NIL value is around $800k.
Sex sells. Clark isnt "sexy" (to most) and Dunne is.
