The NCAA placed significant sanctions on the Florida State University football team for violating name, image and likeness (NIL) rules. This makes Florida State the first college football team to receive a punishment for using NIL payments to wrongfully induce recruits.[2]
The NCAA sanctioned FSU, its assistant football coach, Alex Atkins, and a booster, for violating NCAA recruiting rules and facilitating impermissible contact with an NIL booster.[3] Yahoo Sports reported that the booster involved was one of the leaders of Florida State’s Rising Spear collective.[4] Atkins was accused of driving a prospect to a meeting with a leading member of the school’s NIL collective during the prospect’s official visit to campus in the Spring of 2022. During the encounter, the booster encouraged the recruit to enroll at FSU and offered him an NIL deal as an inducement. The booster offered the prospect $15,000 per month and encouraged him to play for FSU.[5]
Rising Spear separated from the booster referenced in the NCAA report immediately after learning of the incident. [6]
The NCAA did not name the prospect, however, the Associated Press reported the prospect to be Amarius Mims, Georgia’s offensive tackle.[7] After the impermissible meeting, Mims removed his name from the transfer portal and remained at Georgia.
The NCAA prohibits boosters from incentivizing prospects to attend a specific school through the promise of NIL deals.[8] Under the NCAA recruiting rules, meetings between boosters and prospects are prohibited because boosters are not authorized team recruiters.[9]
Florida State admitted the allegations and negotiated penalties with the NCAA.[10] The NCAA sanctions are the most severe ever levied for an NIL violation.[11] The NCAA classified the violations as Level II violations, which are considered major infractions, but less severe than Level I violations.[12] The NCAA claimed Atkins “provided false or misleading information about his knowledge of any involvement in the violations,” which increased the severity of the sanctions.[13] Among the sanctions placed on FSU is a two-year probation period, a reduction in scholarships, and a three-game suspension for Atkins. Additionally, FSU was required to disassociate with the NIL booster for three years. This is the first time the NCAA has severed the relationship between a university and its NIL collective due to an infraction.[14] This is also the first time the NCAA has punished a school, coach or collective for using NIL as a recruiting inducement.
The NCAA has been reluctant to harshly penalize schools for NIL violations. However, the sanctions imposed on FSU by the NCAA may indicate a shift in the NCAA’s hesitancy to penalize schools that violate NIL rules. It is very important for schools to comply with the NCAA’s rules regarding NIL or they may also find themselves facing harsh sanctions, just like FSU.
[1] Featured Image: https://www.tomahawknation.com/florida-state-football-fsu-seminoles-college-cfb-acc-norvell-team-roster-schedule-game/2023/1/17/23558012/survey-results-2023-season-norvell-10-win-uf-miami-finish-ul-lsu-travis-wilson-verse-return-ranking
[2] https://www.tallahassee.com/story/sports/2024/01/20/florida-fsu-football-recruiting-violations-what-know-nil-investigations/72294310007/#
[3] https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39289391/ncaa-penalizes-florida-state-football-nil-rule-violations
[4] https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa-levies-significant-penalties-on-florida-state-for-nil-recruiting-violations-002044903.html
[5] https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39289391/ncaa-penalizes-florida-state-football-nil-rule-violations
[6] https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39289391/ncaa-penalizes-florida-state-football-nil-rule-violations
[7] https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39289391/ncaa-penalizes-florida-state-football-nil-rule-violations
[8] https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39289391/ncaa-penalizes-florida-state-football-nil-rule-violations
[9] https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/01/12/florida-state-ncaa-violations/
[10] https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/01/12/florida-state-ncaa-violations/
[11] https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/01/12/florida-state-ncaa-violations/
[12] https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39289391/ncaa-penalizes-florida-state-football-nil-rule-violations
[13] https://www.varnumlaw.com/insights/ncaa-changes-stance-on-punishment-for-nil-violations/
[14] https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39289391/ncaa-penalizes-florida-state-football-nil-rule-violations
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