Athletics Veritas is a weekly series aimed at helping higher education executives, faculty, and other stakeholders stay tuned in on trending national issues impacting college athletics, especially NCAA Division I. Athletics Veritas is created by senior DI athletic administrators around the nation.
Term-in-Ology: Could NCAA Exceptions Give Way to Grander NIL Benefits?
From NCAA Bylaw 16, which spells out various awards and benefits a student-athlete may receive, one legislative exception notes that a student-athlete may accept transportation and meal expenses in conjunction with participation in a luncheon meeting of an NCAA school’s booster club or civic organization, provided the meeting occurs within a 30-mile radius of the institution's main campus and no tangible award is provided to the student-athlete.
The reality is that NIL opportunities now permitted under the meshing of suspended NCAA rules, emergence of state laws and executive orders (or absence of the same), means that a student-athlete could be compensated to make an appearance at any luncheon, dinner, fundraising event that otherwise complies with applicable university, state, and NCAA laws relevant to NIL and extra benefits.
These days, student-athletes may receive far more than transportation and meal expenses to make such an appearance and such appearances would have no mileage radius restriction.
Athletics Veritas is presented for information purposes only and should not be considered advice or counsel on NCAA compliance matters. For guidance on NCAA rules and processes, always consult your university’s athletics compliance office, conference office, and/or the NCAA.
