University of Arizona president Suresh Garimella is encouraging university presidents from other Power 4 conferences to sign an agreement granting name, image and likeness (NIL) oversight authority to a college athletics commission. Garimella was joined by university presidents of Georgia, Virginia Tech and Washington in authoring a statement advocating for the signing of the University […]
University of Arizona president Suresh Garimella is encouraging university presidents from other Power 4 conferences to sign an agreement granting name, image and likeness (NIL) oversight authority to a college athletics commission.
Garimella was joined by university presidents of Georgia, Virginia Tech and Washington in authoring a statement advocating for the signing of the University Participant Agreement formed by the College Sports Commission. Under the agreement, universities would waive their right to challenge future punishments should the CSC find that a school broke NIL rules, according to ESPN.
“While NCAA regulations and terms of the settlement continue to govern college athletics, the Agreement adds an essential layer of accountability requiring universities to manage the actions of their employees and affiliates,” the statement says. “It provides clarity, consistency, and enforceability at a moment when the enterprise urgently needs all three.”
The four university presidents represent each of the Power 4 conferences.
“For student-athletes, it reinforces transparency and fairness,” the statement says. “For the public, it signals that intercollegiate athletics is capable of reform, self-governance, and responsibility.”
The agreement will only go into effect if all 68 Power 4 universities sign it. Commissioners of the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC had asked participating schools to sign the agreement by early December.
The CSC created the participation agreement as a way to monitor how schools dole out revenue sharing under the House settlement. Universities can share up to $20.5 million in revenue with athletes.
The agreement would prohibit schools from filing any legal challenges against the CSC should a dispute arise. Any school violating the rule would miss out on revenue sharing from its conference for a year and miss at least one year of postseason play in any sport involved in the dispute, according to ESPN.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sent a letter in November telling universities in Texas not to sign the agreement, arguing that it would hand too much authority over to the CSC.
“In an egregious attempt to insulate CSC from legal challenges, schools participating in the agreement would lose revenue and be deemed ineligible for post-season and playoff competition for cooperating with any suit, action, or legal claim brought against the CSC by their home state’s Attorney General,” Paxton’s office said.
The enforcement of revenue sharing agreements and NIL contracts has come to light in the past week-and-a-half after former Arizona signee Demond Williams Jr., now a quarterback at Washington, tried to enter the transfer portal after signing an NIL contract with the Huskies.
Days after announcing his intention to transfer, Williams agreed to return to Washington.
The participation agreement would provide an extra layer of accountability for colleges and athletes to hold true to NIL deals.
Category: General Sports
