Coach: Siena will benefit from new NIL rules
Policy ends amateurism and allows athletes to profit from their fame
With college athletes poised to cash in on their name, image and likeness for the first time, Siena men’s basketball coach Carmen Maciariello said his program will benefit from the NCAA’S proposed change in policy.
The NCAA announced on Monday its Division I Council voted to recommend the Division I Board of Directors adopt an interim policy that would suspend amateurism rules related to name, image and likeness. The board meets Wednesday.
“At the end of the day, I think it’s a positive for us,” Maciariello said. “Obviously, we’re not at the
(Bowl Championship Subdivision) level, but I do think with the following we have and our guys’ marketability, it’s great for the student-athletes, especially our guys, to be able to profit and really get what they’ve earned with their image and likeness.”
The NCAA’S move comes just before six states will on Thursday enact laws allowing college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness. New York is not one of those states.
The NCAA’S interim policy would allow college athletes to engage in NIL activities that are consistent with the laws of the state where the school is located. Those who attend schools in a state without an NIL law can engage in this type of activity without violating NCAA rules related to name, image and likeness.
Maciariello said he could see Siena players getting paid to make appearances at birthday parties, to sign autographs or to endorse on billboards. He said the NIL legislation could help Siena in recruiting.
“That’s a positive coming to Siena College, as well, is we do have a great fan base and a passionate fan base that could probably help in that regard,” Maciariello said.
The NCAA said the policy leaves in place the commitment to avoid pay-for-play and improper inducements tied to choosing to attend a particular school, though it’s not clear how the NCAA would enforce it.
Siena graduate guard Anthony Gaines, a transfer from Northwestern, said he’s had conversations about the NIL legislation but hasn’t followed it closely.
“If it works out, it would be great,” Gaines said. “But I don’t put a lot of attention and focus into it because that stuff isn’t as important as what it takes to win.”
“I’ve paid a little attention to it, but I’m not really too much focused on it,” graduate guard Nick Hopkins added. “I’m just focused on everybody getting here and just trying to work hard and do what we’ve got to do.”
University at Albany football player Karl Mofor, a Football Championship Subdivision All-american, is thinking about how he can profit from the NIL policy. On Saturday, the graduate running back tweeted, “Hit my DMS (direct messages) for all business inquiries.”
The NCAA said with its interim policy, schools and conferences may choose to adopt their own policies.
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference commissioner Rich Ensor said he will discuss the NIL legislation with the athletic directors in a Zoom meeting after seeing the NCAA plan. He described them as “very preliminary discussions.”
Maciariello pointed out Siena’s business school offers an entrepreneurship program that could help athletes learn to maximize their value. Syracuse University is offering a Name, Image and Likeness course in the fall that Orange basketball player Buddy Boeheim and women’s lacrosse player Megan Carney have both signed up for, according to the Post-standard.
The Post-standard reported the general rule is to multiply a college athlete’s number of Instagram followers by 80 cents to estimate how much an athlete can earn in a given year, though that is a ballpark figure.
Maciariello brushed off any concerns about his players spending too much time on social media if the NIL legislation passes.
“They’ve been doing that,” Maciariello said. “Now they’ll just be able to get paid for it.”