Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin met Thursday with NCAA President Charlie Baker to discuss proposals to modernize Division I athletics in the age of name, image, and likeness rights for college athletes.
These proposals, including provisions to allow schools to enter into NIL contracts directly with college athletes and the ability to offer direct financial compensation, would require additional accountability as any school entering a contract must abide by Title IX.
In recent years, there has been a significant push by the NCAA, athletic conferences, and members of Congress to set a federal standard for the use of college athletes’ NIL rights.
Following the Supreme Court ruling in 2021 and in the face of pending state laws allowing college athletes to profit from their NIL, the NCAA abandoned its prior approach to NIL and instead adopted a policy largely deferring to state NIL laws. This has led to a patchwork of NIL rules across the nation.
