NCAA Announces NIL and Transfer Rule Changes

April 24, 2024 by Staff

 The NCAA has come out with new rules that cover the stewardship of transfers as well as other important legal changes dealing with the association's role in representing the players.  This was the final step in the complex and long process needed to adopt such rules, and it will affect the future of the league and the players.

The new guidelines will go into effect immediately, but they have been known to the general public for a while now as the Division I Council has approved them.

What's the Decision?

 The main decision approved and issued by the NCAA is about player transfers.  Under the new guidelines, transfers will have to remain in good standing, meet academic eligibility, and progress toward degree requirements in order to receive immediate eligibility.  The NCAA will start applying the rules on Monday.

All of the rules mentioned above apply only to second-time transfers, for which one needs to stay at least one year in residence.  The group had previously approved a blanket waiver for one-time transfers.

What's the NCAA?

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States and one in Canada.  It was once a single division for all schools, but since the late 50s, it's been separated into divisions for universities and colleges.

Controversially, the NCAA substantially restricts the kinds of benefits and compensation (including paid salary) that collegiate athletes could receive from their schools.  This was a matter of much legal and public debate, and it has led to a lawsuit.

The Increased Popularity of College Football

 The decision comes at an interesting time and goes into legal matters that could greatly affect young athletes in the years to come.  There's an increased interest in the world of college sports from both the fans and the gambling sites played with cryptocurrencies.  These sites provide the players a chance to wager on lots of dice games and other games of luck, as well as to place wagers on college football, which requires skill and knowledge.

With the use of cryptocurrencies, players from all over the world can bet on college football, leading to an increase in interest outside of the US, where college football is always a big deal.

NIL Contracts

The NCAA has also changed the rules regarding NIL contracts.  The new rules allow universities to help the players get into such contracts.  It also states that the players need to disclose to the school if they have entered into it.

NIL stands for "name image and likens" and refers to the use of an athlete's name, image, and likeness through marketing and promotional endeavors.  This includes using the player's image, signing autographs, and any other potential use of a player's likeness.  With college players getting more brand deals and becoming media stars of their own, this rule can have a significant impact on the player's management early on.

The Effect on Graduation

College football teams are still a part of the college experience, and the player transfer issue has led to concerns about academic performance.  It, too, is a part of the new rules, but in a vague form.

Quite frankly, they don't care," one Power Four AD said non-specifically. Lots "They care, but [athlete] mobility and money are more important than graduation right now."

It's an increasing concern now that more money than ever has been involved, and the players have been star athletes since day one.

Haley and Hanna Cavinder

Haley and Hanna Cavinder have become a part of a controversy regarding their NIL contract just a year ago.  As recruits, Cavinders dined at booster John Ruiz's home.  Ruiz's tweet that night drew NCAA attention.  Such a relationship with a third party violated the rules, as boosters aren't allowed to have in-person, off-campus contact with prospects.

The new rules are much less strict on that matter, and if the dinner had taken place now, it wouldn't have violated the regulations set forth by the NCAA.  Athletes would have to report NIL deals within 30 days of receiving them.

The Court Ruling on Transfers

The decision comes months after a federal injunction led to a temporary halt on NCAA rules requiring multi-time transfers to sit out a season.  Such a ruling has effectively made all transfers eligible.  The ruling was the result of two lawsuits filed against the NCAA, one of which involved a basketball player and the other involving the attorney general.

The public scrutinized the NCAA as it has the right to waive transfers based on its own decision, and there have been efforts to clarify the rules on college player transfers ever since.  The changes that followed the lawsuit included the eligibility for players who have had a physical injury or a mental health issue and "exigent circumstances" that could force a player to leave an institution, such as sexual assault or abuse.

Does their College Football Team employ Athletes?

Now that the matter of transfers has been settled, other legal issues facing the NCAA may need to be resolved in order to comply with court rulings as well.  One such issue is a federal lawsuit in Pennsylvania filed by former Villanova football player Trey Johnson that could lead to college athletes being granted employee status.

The athletes are, in effect, employees employed by the college as they work for the team and earn money for the college in the process.  However, they do not have the right to unionize as they are technically students.  The decision made by the NCAA doesn't address this, but it's a long-standing issue that will have to be addressed.

College Football is a huge Industry

College football has long been a huge industry.  It's the second largest sport in the US when measured by attendance, meaning that it ranks higher than professional leagues in other sports.  The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) generated record revenues of $1.16 billion per year in the last couple of years.

About 32 million tickets are sold for college football events each year.  Therefore, the decisions made by the NCAA are going to have a huge impact on the industry and on the players first and foremost.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are the biggest college team by revenue.  They are always among the top five, but they've been holding on to the top spot for the past couple of years with a yearly revenue of $251. Not all of that comes from football, as the college has many other teams, but football is the biggest chunk.

Conclusion

The NCAA has come out with new rules about player transfers and NIL contracts.  These regulate how and when players can transfer from one college and team to the other and what kind of name, image, and likeness deals they can get into.  The changes came after the NCAA had legal problems regarding the issue.

It's one of the biggest sports in terms of revenue and attendance, and the rules will have a huge impact on players and the teams.  Chances are that college football teams will also change additional regulations in areas that have been combated in courts.