Name Image Likeness Legislation

Supporting Fair NIL Policies to Protect and Empower Student-Athletes

Federal legislation would create clarity, uniformity and appropriate safeguards. Such legislation would ensure NIL cannot be used for unfair and inappropriate recruiting advantages, protect student-athletes from adverse outcomes, and should support a vibrant environment for all collegiate sports.

Texas A&M football player waving the American flag after the team runs out at a football game in Kyle Field.

Background

College athletics is amidst unprecedented change. Over the last several years, there have been continued changes in NCAA guidance, disparate revisions of state laws, and pending litigation regarding name, image and likeness. This has caused uncertainty among college athletic programs across the country.

Overview

A patchwork of more than 30 state laws/executive orders related to NIL, combined with evolving NCAA policies and a seemingly never-ending cycle of lawsuits and high civil damages, are creating confusion for student-athletes and their families, as well as institutions of higher education. This creates legitimate concern about the long-term survival of broad-based intercollegiate athletics programs.

Opportunity

Federal legislation would create the necessary clarity and uniformity while providing appropriate safeguards. Such legislation would ensure NIL cannot be used for unfair and inappropriate recruiting advantages, protect student-athletes from adverse outcomes, support a vibrant environment for all collegiate sports, and allow universities to operate under the same rules.

Representing our values, spirit and tradition

Preserving sports opportunities

Bringing people together

Creating educational opportunities through sport

Without the uniformity of federal law, adequate policy infrastructure, and support systems in place at the federal level, current and future student-athletes, regardless of the sport they play or the school they play for, will continue to be vulnerable to broken promises and exploitative agreements. We know that the NCAA membership sowed the seeds of this crisis. Still, we cannot solve this without Congressional help, as these challenges could ultimately threaten the public’s faith in intercollegiate athletics and, eventually, opportunities for hundreds of thousands of student-athletes. Bottom line: without uniform federal regulation of NIL, the chaos that created NIL may sink the collegiate model.

-- Trev Alberts, Director of Athletics, Texas A&M University

Texas A&M was represented by a record-breaking 82 student-athletes on the 2024 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll

2024

650+

student-athletes across 20 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sponsored teams study at Texas A&M

2025

Principles to Support Student-Athletes

Establish Uniformity

Preempt state laws, many of which conflict with the House v. NCAA settlement, and set a federal standard for NIL that includes increased benefits resulting from the settlement.

Provide Limited Liability Protections

Without federal protection, legal issues and ambiguities will continue to threaten and jeopardize college athletics and the amateur model.

Clarify Employment Status

Employment status is not addressed by the settlement, and we must ensure student-athletes are not classified as employees, which continues to pose a threat to the system (especially for non-revenue sports).

Read Stories of Impact

A man in a suit lectures a classroom full of student athletes at the Mays Business School.

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A new course at Texas A&M University is helping student-athletes hone their leadership skills while developing a business mindset. AmplifyU, a program created by Mays Business School in collaboration with the university’s athletics department, focuses on key business competencies to prepare Aggie student-athletes to make financial decisions in relation to the NCAA’s Name, Image, Likeness Rule (NIL). Additionally, the course helps students — many of whom are majoring in subjects other than business — consider key business issues they may face as professional athletes and in careers after their competitive days are over.

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