The U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee has scheduled a hearing to discuss NIL rights for college athletes. This hearing is scheduled for March 29th and will take place in Washington D.C. New NCAA President Charlie Baker will likely represent NCAA programs in an attempt to reign in NIL deals, but no list of people testifying at the hearing has been provided at this time. Baker, the former Governor of Massachusetts, will likely be one of those people. This NIL Hearing is the first step for federal lawmakers as they consider legislation for name, image, and likeness deals.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee has announced a hearing on NIL rights on March 29.
Republicans Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Gus Bilirakis will lead the hearing. It is the first stop in D.C. for Charlie Baker’s NCAA.
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— On3 NIL (@On3NIL) March 14, 2023
Several NCAA coaches and athletic directors have been critical of NIL deals since they began. While some states have passed legislation regarding them, they are not consistent and some states have not passed such legislation. This NIL hearing could be the first step to stabilizing those inconsistencies, but this will likely be a lengthy process through Congress. The NCAA is hoping for legislation that makes it clear that student-athletes are not their employees.
NCAA President Charlie Baker said the following last month: “I think the conversation with Congress will inform the conversation with membership about this stuff, and vice versa. I understand and appreciate the difficulties of working something through a legislative process. It’s incredibly complicated.” This process will continue to play out as athletes sign more NIL deals.
