Gov. Whitmer signs off on images, likeness bills for college athletes

Submitted by Rambling Wolverine on December 30th, 2020 at 9:53 PM

Athletes will be able to enter into endorsement deals, hire agents and accept gifts and will not be punished by their schools. They cannot, however, sign an apparel contract that conflicts with the apparel contracts of their schools.

Whitmer wants to see the NCAA adopt a national standard for all states so there is a consistency in how NIL is applied to athletes across the country.

Erik_in_Dayton

December 30th, 2020 at 10:13 PM ^

I don't know the details, but Michigan apparently has a law that makes it a crime for an agent to sign an athlete while that athlete still has NCAA eligibility. This bill will strike that down when it goes into effect. Also, this bill bans colleges and universities from prohibiting athletes from profiting from their names, images, and likenesses. The NCAA says they're moving in that direction anyway, but this is (I think) a bit of brinkmanship designed to force their hand.

Joined: 12/03/2008

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Jack Be Nimble

December 30th, 2020 at 10:16 PM ^

No, the bill makes it illegal for the NCAA to punish athletes for exercising their NIL rights, at least within the borders of the state of Michigan. So the NCAA cannot deny eligibility to players solely because they took money. Here is an analysis of a version of the bill from the Michigan Senate.

House Bill 5217 (H-5) would create a new act to do the following:

--Prohibit a postsecondary institution from preventing a student of that institution from fully participating in intercollegiate athletics based upon the student earning compensation as a result of the student's use of his or her name, image, or likeness rights.

--Prohibit an athletic association, conference, or other group or organization with authority over intercollegiate athletics from preventing a student or a postsecondary institution from fully participating in intercollegiate athletics based on the student earning compensation from the use of his or her name, image, or likeness rights.

Joined: 10/03/2014

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UPMichigan

December 30th, 2020 at 10:19 PM ^

This will be interesting. Reminds me of Joe Namath picking NYC over St. Louis because of the larger endorsement opportunities. Wonder if this will play a factor in recruiting at some point.

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Michigan9

December 30th, 2020 at 10:28 PM ^

The NCAA is a joke.  Even if there is a standard, is there any confidence they’ll actually hold schools accountable?  They’ve proven they can’t get shit correct now as it is.  

 

Joined: 10/13/2014

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BoCanHam15

December 31st, 2020 at 12:17 AM ^

Denard would’ve owned half of AA, and Chris Webber could’ve sold his own jerseys!  Imagine that.  What’s next, the hanging of the banners at Crisler?

Joined: 07/08/2016

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PrettyFlyWhiteGuy

December 31st, 2020 at 9:52 AM ^

And thus the death of college football.

 

So we are going to have 18 year old multi-millionaires on a college campus?  Playing with teammates who are still poor college students.  Agents hunting 15 year old kids and negotiating deals with Universities before their client will sign a LOI?  Surely nothing can go wrong.  

 

I know that people think this will benefit UofM ultimately.  I am not so sure.  This is going to be seedy and gross and UofM has a history of trying to stay above this sort of thing.  They will not push it to the limits that other schools will push it.  A lot of these kids don't want to play school as things stand now.  Are they going to be more or less motivated to play school when they have a million dollars in their bank account?  Is UofM going to require them to attend classes?  Because some schools won't.  

 

I just think this is going to be a disaster.

 

 

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