NIL Hearing, DOJ Joins Antitrust Lawsuit, + ICYMI | NIL Newsletter #209
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Quick Hitters:
11th Hearing on NIL Yields Little More than First 10
On Thursday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee hosted the 11th hearing on NIL on Capitol Hill.
Gus Bilirakis, Chair of the IDC Subcommittee once again emphasized the need for “guardrails” and a “level playing field.”
“I wanted to be clear today: NIL was great for players, and the change was long overdue. At the same time, the sudden transition to NIL has enabled a wild west environment where pay-for-play is rampant.”
Representative Lori Trahan presented a more cautioned view of the proposed Fair College Sports Act: “The [Act] would create a new governing body completely controlled by political appointees, none of whom are required to be current athletes.”
Chase Griffin, a quarterback at UCLA, framed the act in a negative light: “The Fair College Sports Act creates regulatory obstacles for college athletics. This bill has over 200 negative references to NIL with words like regulate, prohibit, sanction, restrict and inducement, but it never mentions freedom, growth, innovation.”
Department of Justice Joins State Antitrust Lawsuit v. NCAA
On Thursday, the Justice Department announced that they would be joining ten states and the District of Colombia in the antitrust lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s transfer eligibility tule.
“We are proud to stand with our state law enforcement partners on behalf of college athletes across the nation,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.
“NCAA Division I institutions compete with each other not just on the playing field or in the arena, but to recruit and retain college athletes. College athletes should be able to freely choose the institutions that best meet their academic, personal and professional development needs without anticompetitive restrictions that limit their mobility by sacrificing a year of athletic competition.”
The amended complaint, which includes the DOJ as a plaintiff, alleges that the one-time-transfer rule unreasonably restrains competition, a pro se violation of the antitrust laws.
ICYMI
The Florida High School Athletic Association asked for public input for allowing NIL deals for high school student athletes in Florida. LINK
Nike signed two top women’s basketball recruits—AJ Dybantsa and Jerzy Robinson—to NIL deals. LINK
The ACC is asking for an injunction barring FSU from participating in conference decisions during its lawsuit against the conference. LINK
Powerade signed Flau’jae Johnson and Isaiah Collier to NIL deals, to be featured in an upcoming national marketing campaign. LINK
New Ohio State AD Ross Bjork supported revenue sharing in his introductory press conference. LINK
Former Alabama DB Caleb Downs is expected to command “Top-QB Money” in the portal — something in the $2-$4 million range. LINK
Campus Ink’s NIL store has surpassed $1 million in payouts to athletes. 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!