December 5, 2023 | less than a minute read

NCAA proposes to permit schools to finally pay student athletes

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David Kaufman

Get in touch

David Kaufman

In a long-awaited and eventual move, the NCAA has proposed rules to permit its most financially secure institutions to pay student athletes through NIL, or name, image and likeness, programs.

The NCAA is trying to avoid federal legislation or judicial intervention with this overdue proposal, which will permit these schools to craft their own rules for recruiting, transfers, rosters and payments.

These rules would require at least $30,000 per athlete, but enforce gender equality while still divorcing academics from athletics. The letter from the NCAA president is scant on details, but a link is included below.

NCAA president Charlie Baker proposed rule changes Tuesday that would allow Division I schools for the first time to pay their athletes in ways that are not tied to educational resources. Baker shared the proposed changes in a letter sent to member schools. If Division I schools choose to adopt the rules, they would be allowed to enter into name, image and likeness deals directly with their athletes. The new rules would also create a trust fund for athletes at the richest tier of athletic departments.