The final hours are ticking away until college athletes are allowed to be paid for their name, image and likeness.
An Alabama state law signed into law in April will take effect Thursday along with similar legislation in several other states, and the NCAA is expected Wednesday to suspend its rules preventing athletes from being paid.
That means athletes at the University of Alabama will be able to earn revenue from sponsorship deals, although the NCAA noted its policy change, “leaves in place the commitment to avoid pay-for-play and improper inducements tied to choosing to attend a particular school.”
In anticipation of the change, Alabama’s athletics department on Tuesday released a list of guidelines for its players and fans. Among the highlights:
- Employees of the university cannot arrange sponsorship deals for athletes, but the athletes can hire professional agents to negotiate the deals but those agents may not yet negotiate future playing contracts.
- Athletes cannot endorse tobacco or nicotine products, alcoholic beverages, controlled substances, adult entertainment or casinos. The school can also block deals that, “in the reasonable and good faith judgment of UA, negatively impacts or reflects adversely on UA.”
- The school specifically notes to boosters that, “Alabama law prevents the use of compensation for NIL as an inducement to attend or enroll in or continue attending a specific postsecondary institution.” However, fans and boosters are otherwise allowed to make deals with players.
The historic shift in college sports applies to all of Alabama’s athletes but naturally will bring the greatest benefit to its most marketable players. In football, that could mean lucrative endorsement deals for quarterback Bryce Young, wide receiver John Metchie and linebacker Will Anderson, among others.
For recently-departed Alabama stars such as DeVonta Smith and Tua Tagovailoa, an earlier adoption of long-discussed name, image and likeness compensation would have produced significant revenue. Experts estimated to AL.com in 2020 that Tagovailoa could have made three to five million dollars while a student.
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An array of Alabama players in recent weeks have posted messages to their social media acknowledging the new law and inviting contact about prospective business deals.
The school has embraced the change, announcing in April a program called “The Advantage” that assistat players with “brand management, maximizing personal social media platforms and financial literacy.”
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Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.
