As the landscape of NIL and revenue sharing for college athletes continues to evolve, the NCAA is weighing another rule change that would require Division I athletes to disclose NIL deals from high school and junior colleges to the NIL Go clearinghouse.
According to ESPN, student-athletes would be required to disclose all non-institutional deals dating back to the first day of their Junior year of high school and exceeding $600 to the College Sports Commission upon enrollment at a four-year university. Former junior college athletes would be required to report any deals dating back to the first day of enrollment in the two-year college.
With at least 40 states allowing high school student-athletes to profit on their name, image and likeness, the potential new guidelines from the NCAA would be wide-reaching.
The NCAA said that by enacting this rule, it would “prevent pay-for-play deals between prospective athletes and boosters or school-affiliated entities.” In layman’s terms, the NCAA wants to discourage boosters and collectives from paying athletes before they are enrolled at the school as a bribe. However, the organization did not disclose what a potential consequence of not disclosing former deals could be.
The CSC and NIL Go portal aim to evaluate the fair market value of NIL deals signed by college student-athletes. The process includes submissions and approvals that must all be met before the deal can be made from any sport, from football to golf.
“It’s unclear what the discipline would be for athletes or third parties that violate these rules, just like it’s just not entirely clear what the discipline will be for current college athletes,” Gabe Feldman, director of sports law at Tulane University, told WTEM. “The emphasis certainly seems to be on not unduly harming the athlete themselves and the team, whereas in the past, if an athlete had received an improper benefit, there could be significant repercussions.”
