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Division I Council still focused on NIL, remains on target for ’21-22

The NCAA has finally put its full support behind college athletes earning money from their name, image and likeness rights. The next question is: “How’s this going to work?”

 

That’s where the Division I Council comes in.

Despite diversions and extra work from the COVID-19 pandemic, the council’s leadership says they are on pace to have an NIL structure ready to unveil at the NCAA Convention in January and in place for the start of the 2021-22 academic year.

What is the NCAA Division I Council?

A group of 40 college administrators, including one from each of the 32 conferences, four commissioners, two student athletes and two faculty athletic representatives.
The highest day-to-day decision-making body in Division I.
Created in 2014 by the NCAA to provide athletic directors with a stronger voice in national issues. ADs make up more than half of the council.
Grace Calhoun is the third chair of the council, following Northwestern AD Jim Phillips and Miami AD Blake James.

Each of the NCAA’s three divisions are developing their own NIL model, and there’s no certainty they will look the same. The 40-person NCAA DI Council is responsible for the top level.

“We’ve had to take a hard look at our priorities and decided to just tackle the issues that are right in front of us,” said Grace Calhoun, athletic director at the University of Pennsylvania and chair of the council. “In fact, we voted on a moratorium against taking on any new legislation.”

One element of an NIL marketplace beginning to take shape is a clearinghouse run by an independent third-party operator.

Because of the need for transparency so schools and the NCAA can track commercial transactions, a registry run by an outside organization would be the place to disclose endorsement deals with brands or agencies, such as Opendorse or INFLCR, two big players in the social media space that are expected to drive significant business and income to college athletes.

“There’s a due diligence process we’re going through to see if a third-party administrator would help us track valuations and assist with disclosures,” said the NCAA’s Kevin Lennon, vice president for Division I governance.

The schools will not be allowed to assist athletes with endorsement deals, but universities will need access to the deals and what athletes earn in order to help determine a fair-market value.

“I don’t think there’s a sense that it would totally take over institutional responsibilities or relieve them of obligations” to monitor the marketplace, Lennon said. “But I think there’s certainly the possibility that it could be of great assistance to the students first and foremost and then to our institutions. More work is coming in the next few months to really flesh out what that might look like."

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