How Will the NCAA NIL Changes Bleed Into Sports Betting Industry?
How Will the NCAA NIL Changes Bleed Into Sports Betting Industry?
NCAA athletes can now benefit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). The rule also applies to incoming high school athletes entering collegiate athletics in all three divisions. The NCAA has tried to stronghold athletes for years, so this is monumental news throughout the United States.
Many companies wasted no time signing athletes to NIL deals. This rule is likely to expand in the future when the NCAA has the time to set more concrete NIL guidelines.
There is no doubt that the NCAA NIL rules will bleed into the sports betting industry as it continues to sweep the United States.
NCAA NIL Changes
NCAA NIL rules now favor student-athletes. Throughout NCAA history, athletes could never benefit from their NIL. This led to the end of college sports video games, and it also caused athletes to pay the price.
Reggie Bush secretly benefited from his NIL, and the NCAA forfeited his Heisman Trophy award in 2010. This cannot happen in 2021 following the updated NIL guidelines.
Individuals can engage with NIL laws that are consistent with individual states where their college is located. College athletes who attend a school in a state with no NIL laws can benefit if they stay within NCAA ‘loose’ guidelines.
Athletes can sign with agents to market their NIL to brands throughout the nation. However, all NIL activities must be reported to their institutions. This will ensure that students are complying with the law.
NCAA President Mark Emmert spoke about the historic ruling from the governing body of college athletics.
He said, “This is an important day for college athletes since they all are now able to take advantage of name, image, and likeness opportunities. With the variety of state laws adopted across the country, we will continue to work with Congress to develop a solution that will provide clarity on a national level.”
The NCAA’s temporary policy will stay in place until federal rules are established or the NCAA makes a set of concrete NIL laws. Under the interim policy, student-athletes are not very constricted, which has caused people to wonder about how sports betting will coexist with NCAA NIL.
NCAA NIL and the Sports Betting Industry
Sports betting was taboo in the United States before the Professional, and Amateur Sports Protection Act was deemed unconstitutional in 2018. Sports wagering has grown at a rapid pace since the Supreme Court shot down PASPA.
Professional leagues and teams have aligned with sports betting. Many states allow betting on college athletics as well. Although, states typically block residents from betting on local programs.
Sports betting operators have utilized athletes to market their platforms. If operators used college athletes for marketing, it would most likely not align with the current NIL regulations. Nevertheless, all regulations are temporary so this is a time for betting platforms to push the envelope.
It would probably cause issues with the NCAA, but sports betting is legal, so it would not be simple for the commission to outlaw this practice. College football and basketball betting are two of the most wagered markets in the country.
If a sportsbook chose a few headliners from primary schools, it could increase betting users for college athletic events. In the past few days, athletes have been signed by a variety of companies. It’s only a matter of time before NCAA NIL bleeds into sports betting and athletes find a way around the rules.
