NIL

Student project

Published

3 months ago

March 22, 2025

File photo: South High School football players practice on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020. A proposal to allow Ohio high school athletes to profit off of their personal brands failed in 2022, but supporters would like to see it reintroduced.

If you’ve had the chance to attend a high school sporting event, you likely have been met by athletes working hard with the shared goal of victory in their sport.This is because of NIL, or name, image, and likeness. It grants college, and in some other states high school, athletes the right to profit from their personal brand.It wasn’t until July of 2021 that the NCAA altered its rules to allow college students to profit from NILdeals, yet this decision had a grand and almost immediate impact across the nation.“Whatever we do moving forward, it will include discussion on this issue with our school administrators, Board of Directors, staff and leaders of other state high school athletic associations,” Ute said.

Although it is not in Ohio, Williams believes that the existence of NIL in itself is not an issue. He believes that social media’s significance in NIL and sports culture as a whole, however, is a “double edged sword.”

What does NIL mean for high school athletes?

In May 2022, an NIL proposal was put forth by the Ohio High School Athletic Association, but it failed by a margin of 538 to 254 in a vote by member schools.

Despite this, Williams is supportive of the opportunity NIL can create for high school athletes.Williams feels that while social media helps with outreach and shines light on the overlooked or undermined characteristics in an athlete such as hard work, dedication, passion, and immersion into their sport, with the prominence of social media in the lives of children and adults alike, athletes have become aware of the capabilities of social media and have been taking advantage of them.

Soon after, one by one, different states began changing their rules, allowing high school athletes to benefit from their NIL as well.Shawn Williams Jr. is the head coach of the Centennial High School boys basketball team, and the head coach of the All-Ohio Red boys 16U AAU basketball team. He says that even he is noticing that NIL is gradually becoming more prevalent and impactful in the high school scene.

Will NIL ever be approved for Ohio high school students?

“Every year, the referendum voting process shows that our member schools have a voice in this democratic process,” said OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute. “If NIL is going to enter the Ohio interscholastic landscape, we want the schools to be the ones to make that determination.”Ryan Holmes is a student at Centennial High School. This piece was written for Columbus Journalists in Training, a program sponsored by the Columbus Dispatch and Society of Professional Journalists Central Ohio Pro-Chapter and Columbus Association of Black Journalists for Columbus City Schools students. Ryan was a member of team Writer’s Block.Such has been shown through the gradual upsurge in instances of televised unsportsmanlike conduct in the form of athletes embarrassing one another and ultimately straying from the fundamental and core components of their sports, hungry for media attention.With so much momentum pushing toward NIL benefits being integrated into high school and college athletics, there is a possibility of it passing in the state of Ohio sooner rather than later. However, this decision will ultimately come down to the member schools.

This proposal would have allowed student athletes to sign endorsement agreements as long as their teams, schools and the OHSAA logo were not used, the endorsements did not happen on school property or in school uniform and provided there were no endorsements with companies that do not support the mission of education-based athletics, such as casinos, gambling, alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. To his point, 44 states permit high school athletes the monetization of their NIL, according to NCSA Sports. Ohio is not one of these states. Because the proposal was rejected, Ohio’s student-athletes remain unable to sign endorsement deals without losing their amateur status.What you cannot see in Ohio is them using their athletic talent or persona off the field to make money.

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EIU freshman Johnson headed to NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Abraham Johnson stared at the scoreboard in disbelief. The Eastern Illinois freshman had qualified for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a personal-best triple jump of 16.10 meters at regionals in College Station, Texas. When the announcer called his name, the weight of the moment finally hit him. “I ultimately couldn’t […]

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3 hours ago

June 11, 2025

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EIU freshman Johnson headed to NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Abraham Johnson stared at the scoreboard in disbelief.

The Eastern Illinois freshman had qualified for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a personal-best triple jump of 16.10 meters at regionals in College Station, Texas.

When the announcer called his name, the weight of the moment finally hit him.

“I ultimately couldn’t cry because I was still processing,” Johnson said. “But then once I heard my name over the intercom I had to run over to coach [James Gildon and Riley Baker] and let the emotions out. I had been chasing this exact moment and this exact number all season, and to finally achieve it was a blessing.”

Johnson had just accomplished a goal he set long before he ever stepped onto a collegiate track.

“It means a lot,” he said. “I remember before I started competing collegiately, I would always see those boards that said ‘ticket punched’ and I said I was gonna get one of those one day.”

Now he’s one of just 24 triple jumpers in the country heading to the NCAA championships, and one of only four freshmen.

“It’s crazy in my opinion,” Johnson said. “It kinda felt like an underdog story. I was able to pull through, even with the troubles of my spikes almost getting me disqualified.”

That near disqualification came just 20 minutes before regionals.

Johnson said he was on his phone when he came across a post showing banned spike models, and the ones he had worn all season, Nike Triple Jump Elite 2, were on there.

Director of Track & Field James Gildon explained that the responsibility for knowing which spikes are legal lies with the coaches and athletes, not the officials inspecting them. He said there was some confusion because Nike produces several different models.

“The sole was, I think, three millimeters over what it needs to be,” he said, “And the Nike Threes are compliant.”

Luckily, Johnson had other cleats with him. But he had to quickly adjust to competing in Adidas cleats instead of his usual spikes.

For the upcoming competition, Johnson will be competing in the Nike Triple Jump Elite 3, according to Gildon.

Even before that moment, Johnson had been battling what he called the biggest challenge of his season: minor injuries, which included knee pain.

“I have never had knee pain before, but as soon as it came around it messed with me mentally,” he said.

The day before his competition, Johnson said the pain was the worst he had ever really felt before, so he turned to prayer.

“As soon as I got back to the hotel, I pleaded to God to give me a sign that he would be there with me during competition,” he said. “And all of a sudden I wasn’t experiencing any type of knee pain.”

Johnson credits God for his success.

“God has played the biggest part in my journey as a track athlete,” he said. “When I would think all would fail, God came and told and showed me something different.”

Now, with the NCAA championships in Eugene, Oregon, on the horizon, Johnson is sticking to what’s worked.

“I am just going to do what I always do,” he said. “Keep putting in that work and putting my faith in Jesus Christ.”

And Gildon said their approach to preparation won’t change much heading into the biggest meet of the season.

“We’re going to prepare like we’ve been preparing,” he said. “In terms of the X’s and O’s and the physical training of it.”

Gildon also emphasized the mental training for what he called the biggest meet Johnson’s ever competed in.

“There’s a lot of opportunity to be distracted with kind of the outside noise and venue,” Gildon said. “So just helping him, kind of staying focused on keeping the main thing the main thing.”

Gildon believes Johnson’s experience will help. Saying Johnson has competed well at championships throughout the year, and Gildon is confident he’ll be locked in when it matters most.

“By the time Friday comes, I’d like to think he’ll be dialed in and ready to go, hopefully being All-American,” he said.

Johnson is the second straight Panther to qualify for the NCAA outdoor championships, following Ramsey Hunt’s runner-up long jump finish last year.

Gildon said the accomplishment reflects the program’s competitive ability and commitment to development.

“It kind of highlights our ability to compete at a high level,” he said. “So hopefully this kind of radiates throughout our region into recruiting and such that you can do it here. And that’s one thing that I want all our student athletes to buy into is that you can do it here at Eastern Illinois University with the coaches, the resources that we have, we can compete at a very high level,” he said.

The championships start Wednesday afternoon at the University of Oregon. The men’s triple jump competition will begin at 5:10 p.m. on Friday. Johnson will compete in flight one. The competition will be broadcast on ESPN+.

NIL

NCAA’s Legal Risks Endure Despite $2.8 Billion NIL Settlement

A federal judge’s final approval of the NCAA’s $2.8 billion settlement with student-athletes won’t quell all the antitrust threats for the sports organization as it seeks to provide stability in college sports. Judge Claudia Wilken of the US District Court for the District of Northern California in a 76-page order June 6 found the settlement […]

Published

4 hours ago

June 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Judge Claudia Wilken of the US District Court for the District of Northern California in a 76-page order June 6 found the settlement fair to class members and overruled numerous objections, including over a controversial spending limit cap, viewing the deal as a compromise between the parties.

The deal removes a huge headache for the NCAA, in that the claims of a huge consolidated class action fall by the wayside, and, for the first time, a system will exist in which schools can pay athletes directly. But the settlement won’t insulate the NCAA from antitrust challenges alleging anticompetitive practices, said Cal Stein, litigation partner with Troutman Pepper Locke.

Objectors are also likely to appeal the settlement, while future athletes could bring separate suits challenging pay limits and roster limit provisions. Opt-out plaintiffs who declined to participate in the settlement could pursue individual claims. Other cases with claims against the NCAA outside the settlement remain in play.

Attorney Steven Molo, who represents athletes opposed to the deal, said in a statement to Bloomberg Law that he is reviewing the order and “considering our options.”

“I don’t think it’s a silver bullet,” Stein said of the settlement. “The NCAA saw the writing on the wall. They needed to get out of the way of this freight train, and they managed to do it on terms that they can live with. But it’s very clear to me that there is going to be continued litigation.”

Push for Legislation

Another sign that the NCAA expects legal trouble: NCAA President Charlie Baker made another appeal to Congress for college sports legislation even as he praised the settlement approval.

“You wouldn’t be doing that if you didn’t have fear of this new system being subject to challenges and legal difficulties,” Stein said.

Rep. Lisa McClain (Mich.), the fourth-ranking member of GOP House leadership, and Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-Ore.) introduced a bill (H.R. 3847) Monday that would standardize athletes’ NIL pay.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee has a June 12 legislative hearing on separate draft legislation by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) that is considered largely in line with the NCAA’s wishes. The draft includes a provision that would address antitrust liability in college sports.

Follow-on Litigation

The judge’s approval doesn’t function as an endorsement of the legality of the NCAA’s rules and her order “invites follow-on litigation,” said Christine Bartholomew, a law professor at University at Buffalo focused on antitrust issues.

“The judge just recognizes that this doesn’t provide complete relief,” Bartholomew said. “This opinion, in my mind, is written with the realization that there is a very high likelihood of appeal.”

Expect to see appeals from objectors in the next month, with future lawsuits thereafter, said Michael Carrier, a professor at Rutgers Law School who writes about antitrust and intellectual property.

An appeal could be an “uphill climb” for plaintiffs covered by the deal, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be successful, he said. “There’s a chance that an appellate court could overturn it.”

Smaller colleges that feel disadvantaged by the NCAA’s settlement’s revenue-sharing model also may pursue litigation, said William Lavery, a partner in Clifford Chance’s global antitrust litigation practice.

Institutions can distribute up to 22% of the average revenue generated by schools in conferences including the ACC and Big Ten. The cap is estimated to be roughly $20.5 million per school.

“It allows schools to prioritize the revenue-sharing model to revenue-generating sports disproportionately; that’s obviously going to entrench inequality,” Lavery said. “These elite programs are going to continue to attract more talent. It’s going to make it effectively impossible for smaller schools to compete, at least in the big sports.”

Plaintiffs are also represented by Winston & Strawn LLP and Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP. The NCAA is represented by Wilkinson Stekloff LLP.

The case is In re College Athlete NIL Litig., N.D. Cal., No. 4:20-cv-03919, 6/6/25.

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Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter on NCAA settlement, paying players

Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter on Boilers’ 2025-26 season Purdue conducted its first practice on Monday ahead of the upcoming season. Hear what coach Matt Painter said afterwards. Purdue coach Matt Painter used a comparison to professional sports when explaining the difference between revenue-sharing and name, image and likeness. WEST LAFAYETTE — The financial allotment […]

Published

4 hours ago

June 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Purdue coach Matt Painter used a comparison to professional sports when explaining the difference between revenue-sharing and name, image and likeness.

WEST LAFAYETTE — The financial allotment for college athletes went from one extreme (legally nonexistent) to another when the NCAA instituted name, image, and likeness (NIL), allowing student-athletes to capitalize on their marketability.

The rich, essentially, got richer.

On Friday, a nearly half decade battle through the court system concluded with the House vs. NCAA settlement which will allow schools to pay their athletes directly.

Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski stated previously Purdue would be a full participant up to the cap limit, estimated at $20.5 million.

After Purdue basketball had its first summer practice on Monday, coach Matt Painter, who currently serves as third vice president on the National Association of Basketball Coaches board of directors, was asked if college basketball got better based on the ruling.

“Some competitive balance is all we really want,” Painter said. “It wasn’t name, image and likeness before. This gives you more of a grasp of having a core amount of money to pay these guys, which is a lot less than the money that’s going on right now. And then, anything on top of it is real name, image and likeness.”

The idea behind name, image, and likeness was for college athletes to capitalize on their notoriety via avenues such as autograph signings, hosting sports camps, or appearing in advertisements, for example.

Painter mentioned specifically from his own program since NIL went into effect the names of two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey, selected ninth overall in last year’s NBA draft, and Braden Smith, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year and Bob Cousy Award winner for the nation’s top point guard, as marketable athletes who fit the supposed NIL idea.

“When everybody gets money, not everybody in Major League Baseball gets money in name, image and likeness and they’re in the big show,” Painter said. “If you watch a baseball game and there’s 52 guys on two rosters, tell me how many guys are on those commercials. Two? Three? Four? Five? Not very many. That’s the market. Not everybody is marketable that plays college basketball and gets paid. …

“There’s a lot of things that haven’t been fair across the board, so hopefully this equals things out a little bit.”

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Texas softball

How did Texas softball coach Mike White and his staff celebrate winning the program’s first national championship? By hitting the recruiting trail, both in the portal and at the youth level. White had no choice since the portal window remains open for softball until Monday, just 10 days after Texas clinched its title by beating Texas Tech […]

Published

5 hours ago

June 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Texas Softball Head Coach Mike White listens to speeches in honor of Texas Softball during the celebration of their National Championship at Red & Charline McCombs Field, June 7, 2025.

How did Texas softball coach Mike White and his staff celebrate winning the program’s first national championship?

By hitting the recruiting trail, both in the portal and at the youth level.

White had no choice since the portal window remains open for softball until Monday, just 10 days after Texas clinched its title by beating Texas Tech 10-4 in the third and decisive game in the Women’s College World Series finals in Oklahoma City. Coaches were allowed to reach out to high school or travel ball players just a day later.

The timing of the portal window can prove particularly tricky for coaches like White who are competing in the WCWS, which can last 10 days for the teams that reach a Game 3 of the championship series. This season it opened May 18, when the nation’s best teams are often fighting for a spot in the WCWS.

How did Texas softball grade out in 2025?

“Truthfully, we’ve already been contacting some players because you have to,” White said. “It’s open. So, what else are you supposed to do? And then recruiting starts (June 7), you know? So that’s the first opportunity to go out.”

White compared the condensed summer schedule for teams that reach the WCWS to “a treadmill.”

“You keep trying to catch up and keep going, there’s very little time to sit back,” he said. “But I do wish they would do something with the transfer portal as far as allowing it to not open until after (the WCWS) so we can really concentrate on playing our opponents.”

But White also embraces the grind. That’s why he’s looking forward to defending the Longhorns’ title.

“The next step is, can we come back and repeat and get back here again?” he said. “I have no doubts. I believe in myself, and I believe in the coaching staff I have, and I believe in the athletes we recruit. You go for it, and you just keep changing and you remix the formula and you just keep trying. Like I tell the players, champions are not born that way, they’re made.”

GOLDEN: Teagan Kavan saved Texas softball

With the program’s expectations established, let’s answer five key questions for Texas softball entering next season:

What players are coming back for Texas softball?

A better question to ask is who’s not returning, because the Longhorns will bring back almost every starter pending any surprise portal entrees. The two departing seniors in the lineup will leave a big void, though; third baseman Mia Scott, a four-year starter, put on a show with her glove and bat in Oklahoma City while first baseman Joley Mitchell had a career year and emerged as a valued locker room leader.

That means stalwarts such as catcher Reese Atwood, infielder Leighann Goode and outfielders Katie Stewart, Kayden Henry and Ashton Maloney all return.

In the pitchers room, senior Mac Morgan is the only player who garnered significant innings in 2025 that will depart. Teagan Kavan returns as the staff ace along with reliable incoming senior Citlaly Gutierrez and promising incoming sophomore Cambria Salmon.

MORE: Texas softball alums celebrate national championship

Will Viviana Martinez be ready for the 2026 season?

Truth be told, the junior shortstop may have been ready for the WCWS after having surgery for a torn knee ligament suffered in October, but the program didn’t want to burn an injury redshirt just for a postseason series or two. A two-year starter prior to this season, Martinez excels on defense and at the plate. Her return will help ease the loss of Scott and Mitchell’s bats in the lineup, and it will also likely push versatile middle infielder Goode back to a full-time role at second base.

Who will Texas pursue in the transfer portal?

The team will likely need some veteran help at either infield corner. Finding, well, another Mitchell to replace Mitchell at either corner will help. Since she arrived at Texas from Notre Dame prior to the 2024 season, Mitchell solidified both the lineup and the locker room.

Does pitcher Teagan Kavan need help?

Probably not, even though Morgan provided a steady senior presence in the circle during the NCAA Tournament. Gutierrez is reliable as a starter and reliever; Salmon has star potential. In addition, Texas will welcome pitcher Hannah Wells, a three-time Texas high school state champion, as part of its 2025 recruiting class.

MORE: A homegrown roster won a national championship

Which Texas player could have a breakout season in 2026?

For her sake, infielder Victoria Hunter needs to take advantage of the opportunities in the lineup. A highly touted recruit from the 2023 class, Hunter regressed at the plate this season while starting 20 games primarily at the designated player spot. She hit .385 with an on-base percentage of .529 as a freshman in 2024, but those numbers dropped to .230 and .388, respectively, this season. But she can play either at third or first and she boasts undeniable power; she has nine home runs and 32 RBIs in 100 career at-bats.

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Colorado’s Deion Sanders reportedly away from program to deal with illness

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has been sidelined recently as he deals with an unknown illness, USA Today and ESPN reported. Sanders is away from Colorado’s program and has been resting, his son, Deion Jr., shared in a YouTube video. “He’ll tell y’all soon enough what he’s going through, what he went through,” the younger […]

Published

5 hours ago

June 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

“He’ll tell y’all soon enough what he’s going through, what he went through,” the younger Sanders said, according to USA Today. “When we get back to Boulder, I don’t know. I’m waiting until my dad leaves. When he leaves, then I’ll go. Until then, I’m going to sit here with him.”

While Colorado isn’t practicing at the moment due to summer break, it’s been hosting its annual football camps in Boulder over the first two weeks of June. Sanders reportedly hasn’t been present for those camps this summer after appearing at them in his first two years on the job. Operating the summer camps is part of Sanders’ job description at Colorado, according to USA Today.

The 57-year-old Sanders also recently canceled a speaking engagement at the Sickle Cell Disease Research and Educational Symposium.

“Due to an unavoidable last-minute scheduling change, our originally scheduled Foundation Keynote Speaker, Deion Sanders ‘Coach Prime,’ is unable to attend,” the organization wrote in a social media post. “We are grateful for his support and look forward to future opportunities to welcome him.”

Sanders hinted that he had been dealing with a health issue when he appeared on former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel’s podcast in May. As Samuel wished Sanders well, the Colorado coach said what he was “dealing with right now is at whole nother level” and that he had lost 14 pounds. Still, Sanders said he planned to return to coaching whenever the illness subsided.

Sanders has dealt with multiple serious health issues over the last few years. In 2021, he had two toes on his left foot amputated due to blood clots that stemmed from a previous surgery. He underwent surgery again to help relieve blood clots in both of his legs in 2023.

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NCAA says online abuse related to sports betting declined during this year’s March Madness :: WRALSportsFan.com

By The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS — INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Online abuse related to sports betting decreased during the NCAA’s March Madness basketball tournaments compared with the prior year, but people involved in the competition still received more than 3,000 threatening messages, the NCAA said Tuesday. The NCAA hired Signify Group to monitor messages directed at […]

Published

6 hours ago

June 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

By The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Online abuse related to sports betting decreased during the NCAA’s March Madness basketball tournaments compared with the prior year, but people involved in the competition still received more than 3,000 threatening messages, the NCAA said Tuesday.

The NCAA hired Signify Group to monitor messages directed at athletes, coaches, game officials, selection committee members and others with official roles in the tournament. Signify used both artificial intelligence and human analysts to confirm the threats and, when necessary, report them to law enforcement.

Overall, abuse related to sports betting was down 23%, the NCAA said in a news release.

The men’s March Madness bracket was notable this year for the scarcity of upsets, with all four No. 1 seeds advancing to the Final Four and Florida, a popular pick to win it all, claiming the national title. On the women’s side, three top seeds made the national semifinals and No. 2 seed UConn, among the pre-tournament favorites, won the championship.

The NCAA’s analysis found that overall, abusive statements directed at people involved in the men’s tournament increased by 140% — much of it directed at the selection committee and coaches — while abuse related to sports betting was down 36%.

Abuse was down 83% on the women’s side and betting-related abuse declined 66%.

One women’s player who was targeted online was Chandler Prater of Mississippi State, who was guarding Southern California star JuJu Watkins when she suffered a season-ending knee injury.

“I received all kinds of messages, so many of them hateful and abusive,” Prater said in a statement. “It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.”

Signify’s AI flagged more than 54,000 posts, and its human analysts confirmed that 3,161 messages were abusive or threatening, the NCAA said. Those messages were reported to social media platforms and occasionally to law enforcement. The reporting led to the removal of abusive posts and restrictions on social media accounts.

NCAA President Charlie Baker said he has made curbing online harassment a top priority.

“We have been encouraged to record a reduction in sports betting-related abuse and threat at the 2025 event,” Signify CEO Jonathan Hirshler said, “as this is often the trigger for the most egregious and threatening content we detect.”

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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