Utah NIL Bill, New College Basketball Tournament, NIL Amendments For High School Athletics + ICYMI & More | NIL Newsletter #222
Welcome to the NIL Newsletter by Optimum Sports Consulting - providing valuable, actionable NIL resources for athletes, administrators, agencies and other sports professionals.
Major News
Utah NIL Policy Receives Final Legislative Approval
Under the new NIL bill, college athletes in Utah will have to seek written approval from their schools for any business deal exceeding $600.
Universities will be required to provide a written acknowledgment of whether an NIL deal conflicts with the school’s policies or the standards outlined in the bill.
Utah’s bill aligns with the new NCAA policies which encourage athletes to report all NIL deals so that the organization can build its database.
The NCAA also wants to compile a registry of agents and companies that work with student-athletes to better protect them from predatory business practices.
Men’s College Basketball Tournament “Players” Era Set To Launch This Fall
The tournament will have eight teams in 2024 and is poised to expand to 16 teams by 2025.
Tournament organizers EverWonder Studio and RedBird IMI guarantee that sponsors and other partners will contribute $1 million in NIL for each participating school. The winning team will have the opportunity to earn another $1 million.
The NIL money will be channeled through collectives, boosters, or other NIL entities to give coaches and teams the flexibility to distribute the earnings among current players.
Each participating team will enjoy complimentary travel, lodging, and meals during the event.
South Dakota High School Activities Association Proposes NIL Amendment
An amendment to the South Dakota High School Activities Association’s (SDHSAA) Constitution was proposed to clarify the standards governing name, image, and likeness rules for student-athletes.
According to the amendment, all NIL activities must not interfere with academic obligations, must not be tied to athlete performance, and must not induce an athlete to attend a particular school.
The amendment advises international students to consult U.S. visa and immigration laws before entering an NIL agreement.
Those who violate the amendment could lose their athletic amateur standing for a year.
For Athletes
Deal of the Week
EA Sports announced that over 10,000 athletes have accepted an offer to have their likeness featured in its upcoming college football game.
Players who opt into the game will receive a minimum of $600 and a copy of EA Sports College Football 25.
Players who opt out will be left out of the game entirely and gamers will be blocked from manually adding or creating them.
ICYMI
UW-Madison alumnus Daniel Libit filed a civil suit against the University and the University of Wisconsin Foundation after both entities denied a records request for the contract with Altius Sports Partners. LINK
UCLA guard Kiki Rice debuts her exclusive shoe design as part of her name, image, and likeness affiliation with Jordan Brand. LINK
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) unveils its initial name, image, and likeness proposal. LINK
Texas quarterback Arch Manning will not opt into EA Sports College Football 25 to focus on playing football “on the field”. LINK
Caitlin Clark signs a multiyear deal with Gainbridge, the sponsor of the Indiana Fever who holds the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft. 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!