On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order attempting to “fix” the ever-changing landscape college athletics. More specifically, it attempts to rein-in the current name, image, and likeness (NIL) landscape through changes to eligibility and transfer rules. This is, depending on who you ask, either long overdue compensation for athletes, or the complete unraveling... Continue Reading →
With the chaos of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, it is easy to forget that there is currently a groundbreaking case in arbitration involving 18 University of Nebraska football players challenging the denial of over one million dollars in combined third-party NIL deals. Two weeks ago, I wrote an initial blog highlighting the details of the... Continue Reading →
The aftermath of the House settlement has led us to the world of the College Sports Commission (CSC) and NIL Go, a clearinghouse for reviewing NIL deals between third parties and college athletes. This system has been put in place as an enforcement mechanism, although where the authority comes from is not very clear. The... Continue Reading →
One of the most high-profile NIL related lawsuits in college sports recently settled between quarterback Jaden Rashada (a former Florida recruit) and various individuals involved with the University of Florida. Former head football coach Billy Napier, former staff member Marcus Castro-Walker, Florida booster Hugh Hathcock, and an automotive shop connected to boosters, were all named... Continue Reading →
Formerly “amateur” athletes are earning substantial amounts of money, which has led to providers being concerned with liability if something goes wrong. The recent changes to NCAA practices now allowing NIL deals create the possibility of more malpractice lawsuits against team physicians and other medical providers.[1] It is now common for high-profile college athletes to... Continue Reading →
In the ever-changing world that is the current college sports landscape, the College Sports Commission has just drawn a line in the sand. Those who step across it will commit to a new era of college sports, with stricter guidelines, less money, and a system that shares a remarkable resemblance to professional leagues. Those who... Continue Reading →
The newly formed College Sports Commision, better known as the CSC, has released a letter rejecting several Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals between college athletes and donor-backed collectives loosely linked to several schools1. It’s a strong first step for the infant agency, which was created to police NIL deals following the landmark House settlement.... Continue Reading →
The proposed House settlement was intended to be filed on September 5th, 2024. However, the federal judge pushed back the settlement because the deal would “limit the ways in which boosters can provide money to athletes.”[1] Judge Wilken expressed her concern with the proposed settlement, majorly in part with a clause that the money provided by booster clubs... Continue Reading →
Oklahoma State announced last week that it was going to place QR codes on the back of football players helmets for this season. The QR codes would link directly to OSU’s general NIL (Name, Image, & Likeness) fund to drive NIL contributions by viewers. Although the QR codes would not have been large enough for... Continue Reading →
[1] Last Friday a ruling by District Court Judge Clifton Corker of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the NCAA’s worst nightmare a reality. The preliminary injunction he granted now prohibits the NCAA from enforcing its own rules barring the use of pay-for-play in recruiting.[2] Effective immediately, college athletes can now be promised name, image,... Continue Reading →