May 14, 2021 | less than a minute read

Name, Image and Likeness - a Friday Update

Taylor English

Where things stand on the student-athlete name, image and likeness reform as the clock ticks on:

As of this week at least five states - namely, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and New Mexico, are set to allow athletes to endorse products and sign marketing deals starting July 1.

There is a growing sense of recognition and urgency among athletic departments that NIL changes will take place as early as six weeks.

NCAA President Mark Emmert told the New York Times last week that members need to vote on those proposed new rules “before, or as close to, July 1.”

As the NCAA moves ahead on a formal approach to NIL, they are seeking to identify a TPA - a third-party administrator to track deals, educate stakeholders and enforce regulations.

The governing body’s Division I council is meeting next week, and is expected to discuss the handful of finalists, presumably looking for one that would be independent.

INFLCR, another finalist for the administrator role, told the NCAA on Sunday that it was withdrawing its bid due to the “clear” conflicts of interest if it were both a partner for certain athletic departments and an overseer of all NIL deals. Two of the other finalists, Opendorse and CLC, also have existing commercial relationships with schools. “I do think the independence and neutrality of that entity is critically important to the perception of integrity with this model,” Ackerman, who is commissioner of the Big East, said in an interview. “Assuming it moves forward, and there’s still some questions about it, in terms of what group might be selected to be involved, I think it has to be seen as separate and apart from anybody who’s looking to profit in this space.”