ACC Commissioner Calls for Congressional Help With NIL

Jim Phillips hopes the federal government steps in to help regulate name, image and likeness

PITTSBURGH -- One year can change a lot. This time in 2021, name image. and likeness was foreign soil. When state legislatures forced the hand of college athletics administrators and opened the avenue for players to make money off of the celebrity that comes with being a Division I athlete, it was heralded as modernization and a big step forward.

But as time wears on, some feel that NIL has been allowed to grow past its purpose. ACC commissioner Jim Phillips is one of those people. During his opening statement at the ACC Football, Phillips called on the federal government to help legislate NIL in college athletics. 

'The ACC student-athletes that make up our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, who are here in the room today, continue to engage with members of Congress on finding a regulatory solution that is national in scope and fair while still allowing for outstanding opportunities.'

Phillips praised liberalized NIL rights, but said that the lack of common rules has allowed certain schools to use it as a recruiting advantage. 

'However, the lack of a single enforceable standard for NIL across the schools and all states has created an environment where inducements inaccurately labeled as NIL are disrupting recruiting,' Phillips said.

To that end, Phillips wants uniform regulations, so that everyone is playing the same game. 

'Fair regulation of recruiting is essential for fair competition,' Phillips said. 'We all know NIL has upended recruiting, a result no one desired when it came into effect last July. How did it happen? NIL rules differ from state to state. Regulation is nonexistent. Enforcement of the rules is incredibly challenging.'

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