The House v. NCAA settlement has changed the landscape of college athletics, allowing schools to directly pay their athletes. Conference commissioners are bullish about enforcing NIL rules, but specific punishments remain unclear.
Bryan Seeley, former MLB executive, has been named CEO of the College Sports Commission to lead enforcement efforts. Commissioners Jim Phillips (ACC), Greg Sankey (SEC), Tony Petitti (Big Ten), Brett Yormark (Big 12), and Teresa Gould (Pac-12) all agree that rules and structure are needed.
Phillips says they’re “ready to move a little bit quicker” with Seeley on board, but want to get the rules right. Sankey calls it “progress over perfection,” acknowledging challenges ahead.
A $20.5 million annual cap per school is expected to start in 2025-26, with players required to report NIL deals of $600 or more starting June 7. LBi Software and Deloitte will monitor salary cap management and the NIL clearinghouse.
Commissioners stress the need for congressional help to preempt state laws and codify settlement terms, citing the importance of national standards in college sports.
Despite lingering questions, Phillips says college athletics is “in a much better place” than before the settlement was approved. The new model brings stability and fairness to student-athletes, with more opportunities and benefits than ever before.
Source: https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/45479869/conference-commissioners-bullish-enforcing-new-nil-rules