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The popular phrase<\/a>: \u201cEvery athlete wants to be a rapper, and every rapper wants to be an athlete,\u201d is no longer true. As of late, \u201cevery athlete wants to be a fashionista,\u201d at least, according to the March 28, 2025<\/a> Michigan Fashion Media Summit\u2019s panel, \u201cRedefining the Game: The Intersection of Sports and Fashion.\u201d Moderated by Alex Crescenti, sports reporter and anchor for WXYZ<\/a>, the conversation featured Dan Solomon, personal athlete stylist and founder of Closet Tours<\/a>; Mike Sainristil<\/a>, former Michigan cornerback now with the Washington Commanders; and Joe Holder<\/a>, GQ columnist and Nike trainer. Together, they explored the growing relationship between style and sports, including how athletes express themselves beyond the field. The following five takeaways \u2014 from Name, Image and Likeness\u2019 impact on fashion to the complexity of styling athletes \u2014 capture the essence of their conversation.<\/p>\n 1. NIL is driving collegiate athlete fashion<\/strong><\/p>\n The National Collegiate Athletic Association\u2019s decision to allow college athletes to profit from their Name, Image and Likeness had more consequences than many imagined, with one of the most unexpected being the rise of collegiate sports fashion. Dan Solomon, who started by sourcing clothing items for Indiana University\u2019s basketball team and now works as a personal stylist for pros nationwide, emphasized that his business wouldn\u2019t be possible without NIL. Athletes in powerhouse athletic programs like those at the University of Michigan<\/a> have access to more lucrative brand deals. Compared to larger cities, Ann Arbor\u2019s college town charm means fewer spending outlets, leaving athletes with more disposable income to invest in high-end and personalized fashion. Mike Sainristil, whose NIL valuation heading into the 2024 College Football Playoffs reportedly sat at $556,000<\/a>, noted that his interest in fashion began in college and has since evolved into a way of marketing himself. Where fans once only saw college athletes on screen during game days, they now follow their lives beyond the field through the brand deals they procure. NIL has transformed NCAA athletes into public figures, allowing them to express their identities on a massive scale and honing in on\u00a0their unique senses of style that leave fans wanting more.<\/p>\n 2. Why do athletes want to be fashionistas?<\/strong><\/p>\n