Impact of Virginia Law, FedEx Supports Memphis, USC Hearings With NLRB + ICYMI & More | NIL Newsletter #233
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Major News
Virginia Law Allows State Universities To Directly Pay Athletes
Virginia’s measure allows colleges and universities to pay athletes directly through their name, image, and likeness compensation.
UVA athletic director, Carla Williams, notes that this measure “gets us closer to a federal or national solution for college athletics.”
The Virginia law mirrors NCAA President Charlie Baker’s sentiments about bringing most NIL activities in-house.
The NCAA has moved forward on legislation that will allow its members to be more actively involved in securing sponsorship and endorsement deals for their athletes.
LINK.
FedEx To Donate $25 Million To Memphis Tigers Over Next Five Years
Until now, big donations have been from individuals, while corporations have made smaller deals with individual athletes.
Large corporations may fund more money into NIL or transfer their donations from athletes to NIL collectives.
Memphis looks to use its deal with FedEx to leverage itself into the Big 12.
Fedex’s deal pressures Walmart and Amazon to support schools through NIL.
NLRB To Determine Employment Status of USC Athletes
The Pac-12 and the NCAA are charged with being joint employers of USC football and men’s and women’s basketball players.
To find the Pac-12 and the NCAA liable, USC players must show that they exercise “substantial direct and immediate” control over the most essential tasks of their job.
USC athletes claim that the Pac-12 and NCAA instituted a “common labor policy” and that the university complied with these conditions.
If the court holds in favor of the USC athletes, players from across the country could engage in collective bargaining and unionization.
LINK.
For Athletes
Deal of the Week
Miles Russell, the No. 1 ranked junior golfer in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, inks NIL deal with TaylorMade Golf.
At just 15 years old, Russell is a “top junior talent,” who has made serious moves in the world of NIL
LINK.
ICYMI
The Lady Vol Booster Club, a collective at the University of Tennessee focused on supporting female athletes, signs a teamwide deal with the entire softball roster. LINK.
Top Tier Authentics expands its partnership with the UGA football team. LINK.
Raid Pest Control signs NIL deals with Duke guard Jeremy Roach and Baylor guard Darianna Littlepage. LINK.
Arizona State QB Jaden Rashada is expected to enter the transfer portal. LINK.
Nike nears eight-figure endorsement with Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark. LINK.
Have you checked out OSC’s website?
Head to www.OptimumSportsConsulting.com to find important resources and features relating to all things NIL. These resources include State by State Resources for Admins, Agents, and Athletes, including our initial “OSC Summaries” for over a dozen states coming soon.
More to come too, including links to helpful state information- agency laws and information about school policies, as well as seminar/congressional notes, worksheets, and much more!