Sen. Tuberville: 'NIL has turned collegiate sports into the Wild West'

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) is taking the opportunity at the beginning of football season to remind people of the current problems with Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules in college football.

“It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, we all come together to root for a team like all collegiate sports, football teaches important life lessons, both on and off the field,” Tuberville said on a video posted to his X page. “Sports can be a tremendous tool to instill a strong work ethic, teach a team mindset, and help student athletes achieve the American dream. But ever since the Supreme Court ruled that student athletes can make money, college sports have been on a tailspin.”

NIL has turned collegiate sports into the Wild West.

I’m all for student-athletes making money, but there must be national standards. pic.twitter.com/PGNjcCYbOJ

— Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) September 21, 2024

The senator and former Auburn football coach said this is another reason why Congress needs to pass his bill regulating NIL in college sports.

“I spent 40 years as a coach, an educator and a mentor, and I fully support student athletes making money, but there have been national rules,” he argued. “This is why Senator Joe Manchin and I have introduced the PASS Act to protect athletes, schools and sports. If Congress does not act, Saturday’s in the fall will be soon unrecognizable.”

Tuberville has been pushing the Protecting Athletes, Schools, and Sports (PASS) Act since introducing it last year. The bill sets out nationwide rules for NIL activities in college sports.

A summary of the PASS Act:

NO PAY FOR PLAY: The bill would ensure an equal playing field by prohibiting NIL from being used as an inducement. The bill would also require boosters and collectives to be affiliated with a school.
HEALTH & SAFETY: The bill would provide coverage for sports-related injuries for uninsured student-athletes for 8 years following graduation from a 4-year institution. Larger schools would be required to pay for such expenses for a period even after the student leaves the school.
PROTECTING STUDENT-ATHLETES OFF THE FIELD: The bill would establish additional protections for student-athletes beyond the playing field and beyond the classroom. It would require that student-athletes be educated on their legal and regulatory rights and basic financial literacy. It would preserve the athlete’s initial scholarship commitment for education, regardless of whether the athlete obtained a NIL deal or incurred any injury. In addition, the bill would provide travel for the student-athlete’s immediate family to the athlete’s sporting events.
OVERSIGHT & TRANSPARENCY: The PASS Act would strengthen oversight and enforcement of NIL activities. Non-student parties involved in NIL activities will be required to register and make their contracts public. It would empower the NCAA to audit compliance and refer potential bad actors to the FTC. It would also establish a uniform, standard contract for all NIL deals.
CLARIFYING NIL ACTIVITY: It would establish national standards for all NIL activity. The bill would ban endorsement contracts for certain industries – such as drug paraphernalia, dangerous weapons, or gambling – for both student-athletes and schools. It would also ensure that nothing in the bill would impact the employment status of a student-athlete.
TRANSFERS: The bill will provide stability for teams by moderating the use of the transfer portal. Student-athletes may not enter the portal during their first three years of eligibility without penalty, with some exceptions.

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee