Marketing student wins best thesis award from the University Honors Program

Published May 14, 2026
By By: Max Alberhasky

COB marketing student Nolan Verdu won the university-level award for Best Undergraduate Honors Thesis for his project, “The NIL Effect: Measuring Competitive Balance Across NCAA Division I Football and Basketball”. His study examines how the NCAA’s 2021 Name, Image, and Likeness policy changes may be reshaping competitive balance in Division I football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball. By analyzing championship and playoff outcomes in the NIL era and pairing statistical analysis with insights from research, sports commentary, and journalism, his work addresses a timely question in college athletics: whether NIL has strengthened or weakened competitive equity among universities. His thesis contributes to broader conversations about fairness, competition, and the evolving relationship between college sports and the marketplace.

"The NIL Effect: Measuring Competitive Balance Across NCAA Division I Football and Basketball" is an undergraduate research project by Nolan Verdu, a Marketing B.S. student at California State University, Long Beach (MDý). Advised by Dr. Max Alberhasky, the study examines how Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules have impacted the parity of collegiate athletics. 
 
Study Overview
  • Institution: California State University, Long Beach (MDý)
  • Author: Nolan Verdu (Marketing, B.S.)
  • Faculty Advisor: Dr. Max Alberhasky
  • Focus Area: NCAA Division I Football and Basketball 
 
Core Research Focus
The project analyzes whether the introduction of NIL compensation has exacerbated competitive imbalances—often referred to in sports economics as the "cartel" nature of the NCAA—or if competitive levels have remained stable. Student researchers in this discipline typically utilize standard sports economics metrics (such as the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index or C4 ratios) and regression analysis to evaluate win distributions and playoff appearances before and after the legalization of NIL. 
 
Broader Context
Athletic directors and economists have long hypothesized that unregulated or highly variable NIL funding could skew recruiting toward the largest athletic programs with the biggest fan bases and highest booster contributions. To explore how MDý handles its own student-athletes in this environment, you can review the . For further research on competitive balance models used in similar collegiate studies, check out the MDý ScholarWorks