North Carolina lawmakers are weighing Senate Bill 229, which would limit the transparency of public universities NIL funding in the state.
According to Yahoo Sports, North Carolina currently protects athletes’ NIL deals from public scrutiny; however, the new law would also restrict access to information on how much NIL funding public universities in North Carolina have.
Private donations to NIL collectives are a top priority for protection in the bill. Beyond NIL protections, Senate Bill 229 would also permit graduate student-athletes to be considered North Carolina residents for the purpose of scholarships, and it would remove limitations on in-game raffles and expand alcohol sale permissions.
"If (opposing schools) were able to see how much money you're spending but you can't see their (spending), you're obviously at a disadvantage right there. Really, this is trying to make an even playing field and do the best we can for our universities here," representative Wyatt Gable said.
The bill would apply to Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, NC State University, UNC-Charlotte and UNC-Chapel Hill.
"Exempting it from the public records for the public schools is better for the athlete because that gives them a clean slate in negotiating with another school," said CEO of Ahead Sports Group, Craig Dye.
SB229 has passed the Higher Education House Standing Committee, and it is currently under consideration in the Rules, Calendar and Operations of the House Standing Committee.
"Say an NIL fund gets in a million dollars, people can easily say they're probably going to spend X amount on football, basketball, and baseball, and they'll still have a sense of it. That still puts (North Carolina public schools) at a disadvantage, especially when you look at other states where they're hidden or a private university where it's hidden as well. They don't have to disclose it," Gable said.
