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This summer will mark the second anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court ruling that ushered in the NIL Era after the NCAA had its longstanding business model torn to shreds by the justices who took the governing body to task.
I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to assume the vast majority of sports fans supported the push to finally allow student-athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness—at least in theory.
However, it’s safe to say the rollout has left a bit to be desired in practice.
Nick Saban recently called out one of the biggest issues with NIL deals while alluding to the booster collectives that have become de facto lobbying firms that have had an undeniable (and, depending on who you ask, wildly detrimental) impact on the recruiting landscape.
NIL’s fairly rocky introduction shouldn’t necessarily come as a huge surprise when you consider the NCAA essentially opened the floodgates overnight when it swiftly adjusted its preexisting policies in the wake of the aforementioned ruling.
Last year, Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville announced his plans to introduce federal legislation designed to cut down on NIL-induced chaos, and a few other members of Congress have floated similar measures that have yet to generate any significant traction.
However, that could change within the coming weeks.
According to ESPN, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has scheduled a hearing for March 29th connected to its plans to “create a clear set of rules for male and female athletes of every sport to benefit from their name, image and likeness —at both large and small schools in every state —to preserve the future of college athletics.”
It’s currently unclear who will be invited to speak in front of the committee, but the outlet notes it’s very likely Charlie Baker (the former Massachusetts governor who replaced Mark Emmert as NCAA president on March 1st) will receive an invite to offer his perspective as Congress seemingly prepares to turn up the heat on NIL.
Only time will tell how things will ultimately pan out, but it sure seems like some big changes are on the horizon.