Today marks the first day of a significant change in college athletics as student-athletes can now benefit from their name, image and likeness.
That includes Indiana University student-athletes and officials have been prepared for the changes to college athletics, embarking on a NIL policy, which was made available to student-athletes and coaches via Zoom calls.
The policy comes after Indiana University entered a partnership with Altius Sports Partners, an NIL advisory and education firm. Under the partnership, Altius will provide strategic guidance, consultation and educational support.
In a release, Indiana University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson said the athletic department has been working on a NIL policy since 2020.
"Dating back to the creation of the IU Athletics NIL Task Force last August, our department has been laser-focused on being at the forefront when it comes to preparing for and supporting our students NIL opportunities when this day arrived," said Dolson. "Now that it is here, this comprehensive policy is our latest step and provides a roadmap for our students to maximize their opportunities while also protecting their eligibility to compete in intercollegiate athletics."
Under the policy, Indiana student-athletes can be contacted in various ways to arrange or discuss potential NIL agreements, including through Opendorse Deals or through the athlete's social media accounts.
In addition, the policy states there will be several educational opportunities for Indiana's student-athletes, including opportunities to learn brand management, brand development, business education, personal finance, taxes, entrepreneurship, contracts and agent/advisor selection.
According to the release, more than 95 percent of Indiana's student-athletes have joined Opendorse in advance of the NIL rule change, and Indiana began partnering with Opendorse in 2020. The relationship took off last August when Indiana joined the Opendorse Ready program, which aims to help student-athletes understand their rights when it comes to name, image and likeness and allows them to receive hands-on assistance in how to maximize their value.
Head football coach Tom Allen released a video on his Twitter discussing NIL. In the video, Allen says someone has to have a foundation in their life that they have a story worth being told.
"That goes to our players. How they live their life, the choices that they make, we talk so much about that. There's so much about character development in this program, leadership development in this program because these guys, most of them, are going to go pro in something other than football right out when they leave here. That's the reality for every university in this country," Allen said.
He continued by saying the player's brand and image they have created will follow them.
"The brand they have created, the decisions they have made, things that are put out there, they are put out there forever it seems like. Mistakes that are made," Allen said.
He said he and his staff take those things seriously and put a "ton of energy and passion" into developing players both on and off the field.
"I care about that. Life is about choices and we are trying to help them make good choices, and when they make great choices, they have a platform to show the world who they are," Allen said.
Lineman Dylan Powell turned to Twitter Wednesday night asking those interested in working with him to reach out.
"Hoosier Nation, if anyone out there would be interested in working with me to help you promote your business, I would love to connect with you! I look forward to and would embrace the opportunity of getting to know you all personally while promoting your business! #LEO," Powell tweeted, adding that his DM's are always open and that people can feel free to reach out.
Basketball player Khristian Lander tweeted out that his DMs are open for business.
Recruits have also gotten on board tweeting out that on July 1, their DMs will also be open to potential business dealings.
Football commits Dasan McCullough and Kaiden Turner are among those looking for businesses to reach out.
In a recent story by Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney, Pete Schoenthal, the CEO of Athliance, discussed the importance of compliance departments being aware of what student-athletes are doing.
“If an athlete gets an opportunity there will be certain things that must be disclosed to the NCAA and if there is an issue with some of those deals then there will be consequences,” Schoenthal said.
“You need a review board just like you have in basic tax law. Compliance at the universities will be the gatekeeper on that because they will know the legislation, they know what students have to do. … It’s going to be very important for the universities to know what’s going on and to get the minutiae of those opportunities.”
On Wednesday, the NCAA's Board of Directors opted to allow college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness, opening the door for every college athlete to partake.
However, as part of its ruling, the Board of Directors announced athletes cannot be paid directly for academic achievements, nor can they be paid by schools and endorsements cannot be used directly as recruiting benefits.
With that said, athletes are now permitted to take part in advertising campaigns, charge for autographs, start a business, get paid for teaching a camp and make money off social media.
Indiana's NIL policy has 11 points, ranging from international student-athletes to when student-athletes can engage in NIL opportunities.
Indiana has stated student-athletes cannot engage in NIL opportunities during the course of team activities, which include competitions, practices, and team gatherings and meetings. Student-athletes also must not allow NIL activities to interfere with their academic obligations, according to the policy.
In addition, Indiana's student-athletes Student-athletes are not allowed to use their NIL to promote gambling, alcohol products, tobacco products, adult entertainment, substances banned by the NCAA, or products or services that are illegal.
The policy can be found at https://iuhoosiers.com/sports/2021/6/30/nilpolicy.aspx.
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