Mark Zeigler’s recent column identified a serious problem — phony big-dollar name, image and likeness deals used by colleges to recruit athletes — but blamed the wrong party.
The story of college athlete NIL is best understood as a three-act play. In Act I, the NCAA interpreted and enforced its “amateurism” rules with a vengeance. A golfer at Williams College was ineligible because he had written a book about golf. A draft-eligible pitcher at Oklahoma State was ineligible because his agent spoke to an MLB team. A Colorado freshman was ineligible for football because he had apparel contracts from his days as a teenage skier.
Importantly, almost all the state laws contained limitations on NIL, as did the NCAA’s draft regulations. NIL money couldn’t come from the schools, and couldn’t be used for recruiting. This “third party NIL” money was supposed to come from businesses that actually wanted the athletes’ endorsements, and would pay a fair price for an endorsement. Stars would get a lot, less famous athletes a little.
So I agree with Mark, NIL is not working as planned, and is verging out of control. But let’s put the principal blame where it belongs. The NCAA created the public pressure for NIL reform in the first place, and when it came , the NCAA refused to enforce those limits for months, creating this Wild West atmosphere. None of the two dozen states that passed bills can be blamed for that.
Feckless university presidents ARE the NCAA. Blame them. Call them. Email them. Let them know it is THEIR silence and inaction that has created thus mess. We need to stop scapegoating Mark Emmert because that misses the mark.