NCAA D-I Council Chair M. Grace Calhoun said that her group "will meet as originally planned" later this month to push name, image and likeness legislation forward despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to J. Brady McCollough of the L.A. TIMES. Calhoun said, "The working groups continue to convene very regularly, and we are still on pace to deliver initial recommendations to the full council for its April meeting, which of course will take place virtually." Calhoun said that at that point, a "second wave of proposals that delve into the details of 'trickier stuff' like group licensing opportunities for athletes would be prepared for the NCAA Board of Governors in August and that final voting would occur at the annual convention" in January next year. Meanwhile, McCollough notes current NIL bills moving through legislatures in other states have "kept the pressure on even with COVID-19 providing schools a plethora of issues that are more timely." Calhoun said, "A lot of the sense of urgency continues to be the state conversations and knowing that we have to really press on with our work to know that we can make our changes with NCAA legislation while continuing to work toward the federal bill." She added that the NCAA "still envisions a federal law that will enable a one-size-fits-all solution." However, McCollough notes the coronavirus situation "could make it difficult for any federal legislation involving NIL to be worked on" (L.A. TIMES, 4/1).
