Vote to be held in January to change NIL, transfer rules
A set of proposals to permit NCAA athletes to earn money from endorsements and sponsorships deals will go up for vote in January, the last step for the association to change its rules but not the last word on how name, image and likeness compensation will work.
One year after the NCAA’s Board of Governors directed membership at each of division of the association to come up with plans to allow athletes to cash in on their fame, the Division I Council onWednesday approveda proposal that took shape in April.
The council also approved a proposal that would permit all NCAA athletes to transfer one time without having to sit out a season of competition. Currently, football, basketball, baseball and hockey playersmust sit out a year after they transfer as an undergraduate. Athletes in other sports have already had access to a onetime exception.
Both proposals will go to membership for comment and feedback. barring something unforeseen, they return to the Division I Council — which has represen
tatives from all 32 D-I conferences — for a final vote in Janaury.
“While there has been a lot of surveying of themembership to date, getting proposals in the system has a way of sparking additional conversation and we’re hoping there will be some refinement over the next three months,” said Grace Calhoun, the athletic director at Penn and council chairwoman.
If the proposals pass, which is also likely, they would go into effect for the 2021-22 school year.
For name, image and likeness rules, though, there is still work to be done by lawmakers in Washington. The NCAA has asked for help fromCongress in the formof a federal law that would set rules for NIL compensation, override a growing number of states laws that have pressured the NCAA to take action and protect the association from legal attacks.
“We have acknowledged from the early days if this that the membership of the NCAA can’t do this alone,” Calhoun said.