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NCAA’s Charlie Baker Urges Congress to Act Amid NIL ‘Dysfunction’
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NCAA’s Charlie Baker Urges Congress to Act Amid NIL ‘Dysfunction’

The NCAA president lashed out at “evidence of dysfunction in the current NIL environment” while reiterating his desire for Congress to establish national guidelines to shape so-called name, image and likeness endorsement deals that would reshape college sports .

Charlie Baker’s social media post came Friday, capping off a week in which UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka made headlines by abruptly ending his season. His agent explained that Sluka made the decision after not receiving $100,000 for an NIL deal promised by an assistant coach when the quarterback agreed to transfer to the Rebels last winter.

Baker did not mention the Sluka issue directly in his message, but referred to “promises made that were not kept.”

“We continue to see evidence of dysfunction in the current NIL environment, including examples of promises made but not kept to student-athletes,” Baker said.

He pointed to a model contract the NCAA offers to athletes that includes what he calls “recommended, fair terms.” But the NCAA, a steady loser in court in recent years when it comes to the issue of player pay, does not have the authority to force athletes to adhere to its standards.

On Thursday, attorneys submitted a reworded settlement proposal for a lawsuit that would funnel $2.78 billion to current and former players as part of a new revenue-sharing agreement between schools and athletes. The NCAA is a defendant in that lawsuit, and the settlement also limits its oversight of many NIL deals.

The terms of the settlement should last 10 years, although other factors, such as players’ potential attempt to unionize and state or federal law, will have an impact on what the college landscape looks like in the future .

“We continue to advocate that Congress establish national NIL guidelines that protect student-athletes from exploitation, including the use of standard contracts,” Baker wrote at the end of his message.