Midtown’s Magic 🎱 @ NIL

[MidtownJacket]

The problem is that they basically lost all ability to regulate NIL... they have to regulate something else to temper NIL because NIL is an all or nothing proposition. As soon as players became entitled to compensation, the NCAA pretty much lost all control over the who, what, where, when and how aspect of that compensation.

Edit to expound...
The one thing they can sort of control is to say the schools can’t directly compensate a player for playing. There are plenty of ways around that, as we have seen. There probably are some things they can do with eligibility, but I think they will struggle with transfer limiting efforts because of what we have seen at programs with coaching changes (USC and Colorado). They don’t want to penalize the outgoing kids, of course, but the schools don’t want to lose the incoming opportunities for a year either... that said, I feel like that has to be part of the answer because the NCAA has to live in grades, academic progress and eligibility standards / restrictions

The bolded part for me is where the answer sits.

Make the NIL money go into a trust which is only accessible once the student completes their degree from an Accredited Academic Institution. Heck, put it into bonds or something and let it accrue interest. For guys who make it to the league early before graduating it serves as an inducement to finish their degree after their playing days are over. Tell the kids who want pay for play now to check out the XFL/NBA League Options.

Also I know that's not really an option, but something creative like that where the value isn't realized till them complete school would at least tie back to some of the "Mission" of the NCAA: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2021/6/28/mission-and-priorities.aspx

Mission and Priorities​

The NCAA is a member-led organization focused on cultivating an environment that emphasizes academics, fairness and well-being across college sports.

Academics​

To get the most out of college, student-athletes have to succeed on the court and in the classroom. The NCAA provides opportunities to learn, compete and grow on and off the field. The ultimate goal of the college experience is graduation, and college athletes are graduating at rates that are higher than ever.

Fairness​

With so much changing in college sports, rule changes are focused on improving the student-athlete experience. The NCAA is committed to providing a fair, inclusive and fulfilling environment for student-athletes and giving them a voice in the decision-making process.

Well-Being​

In 1906, the NCAA was founded to keep college athletes safe. The Association is still working hard to protect them physically and mentally. Through its Sport Science Institute, the NCAA provides recommendations and guidelines to ensure college athletes are getting the best care possible.

 

[CEB]

The bolded part for me is where the answer sits.

Make the NIL money go into a trust which is only accessible once the student completes their degree from an Accredited Academic Institution. Heck, put it into bonds or something and let it accrue interest. For guys who make it to the league early before graduating it serves as an inducement to finish their degree after their playing days are over. Tell the kids who want pay for play now to check out the XFL/NBA League Options.

Also I know that's not really an option, but something creative like that where the value isn't realized till them complete school would at least tie back to some of the "Mission" of the NCAA: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2021/6/28/mission-and-priorities.aspx

Mission and Priorities​

The NCAA is a member-led organization focused on cultivating an environment that emphasizes academics, fairness and well-being across college sports.

Academics​

To get the most out of college, student-athletes have to succeed on the court and in the classroom. The NCAA provides opportunities to learn, compete and grow on and off the field. The ultimate goal of the college experience is graduation, and college athletes are graduating at rates that are higher than ever.

Fairness​

With so much changing in college sports, rule changes are focused on improving the student-athlete experience. The NCAA is committed to providing a fair, inclusive and fulfilling environment for student-athletes and giving them a voice in the decision-making process.

Well-Being​

In 1906, the NCAA was founded to keep college athletes safe. The Association is still working hard to protect them physically and mentally. Through its Sport Science Institute, the NCAA provides recommendations and guidelines to ensure college athletes are getting the best care possible.

The aspect of a trust is interesting. I think it will have some big hurdles to overcome, but it does solve some issues. The biggest thing it does in my mind is that it makes scholarships and scholarship limits relevant again. If the NIL funds have to go in a trust that's inaccessible to the athlete while they are a student athlete, that means they have to get scholarships to cover schooling costs... you can't have a third party "NIL" collective paying them for school costs in order to free up scholarships (I don't know if that's actually happening anywhere yet, but I'm pretty sure that is a matter of "when" not "if.")
I don't think you could tie it strictly to graduation, but I think you could tie it to the first of graduation or expiration of eligibility. Grad transfers could have their cake and eat it too... which I am fine with, and honestly is appropriate.
I'm sure there are unintended consequences here too, but the trust concept along with a reintroduction of some type of limitation on transfers seems like a pretty good start. I feel like one free transfer as undergrad for any reason (including coach change) and a second free one if you are a grad transfer with eligibility left.