NSU athletic programs are experiencing the effects of a new NCAA rule, known as NIL. Rules governing collegiate sports, which had remained primarily unchanged since 1972, have now been altered, enabling athletes to make deals and profit through the use of their name, image and likeness.
When the NCAA implemented NIL in July 2021, NSU began to feel the impact on its athletic programs, specifically basketball.
Even at the Division II level, men’s basketball head coach, Jim Crutchfield, said that NIL has affected the team.
“Players we had last season that could have kept developing and getting better are now gone since they signed D1 scholarships for NIL money,” Crutchfield said. “All of the sudden, the price of success has changed the dynamics, we have a lot of new players.”
College athletes are now able to profit from autographs, appearances, ambassador roles, apparel and endorsement deals.
COURTESY OF NSU ATHLETICS NIL has had major implications for NSU basketball.
Before the rule change, collegiate athletes weren’t allowed to play if they participated in endorsements or accepted money from businesses. With NIL, that’s exactly what NCAA athletes can now do.
“Honestly, from a coach’s perspective, there is a lot of indifference with NIL deals. We want to see players get what they deserve, but it’s also a challenge to keep guys without that NIL luxury,” said Nick Smith, assistant men’s basketball coach.
Smith also highlights the challenges the Sharks faced last season due to NIL.
“Our team was in a pretty tough spot this last off-season since we had 10 rotational players, eight left, and six of those eight went into the transfer portal,” Smith said.
While the Supreme Court ruled in favor of NIL in the NCAA v. Alston case (2021), NIL only applies to specific states. If a college athlete lives in a state without NIL policies, the university in which they attend has its own policies athletes must follow. NIL policies, however, are enacted in Florida.
The NSU athletic department wants what’s best for its athletes while abiding by NIL rules.
“Our current stance on NIL deals here at NSU is that we would love for our student-athletes to have the ability to go out and market themselves and monetize their talent or brand,” said John Sung, associate athletic director for external operations.
One major rule still applies even with NIL. Pay-for-play deals, which remain prohibited by the NCAA, are offers that are more incentive based and reward athletes for in-game performance. For example, a company might try to offer a basketball player money for scoring a certain number of points in a game, but this form of compensation is still considered unsanctioned.
“From an administrator’s standpoint, we would not deny or hold up most deals that could be presented to an athlete,” Sung said.
In terms of player morale and “fairness” within NIL deals, there have been concerns that this can lead to hostility in the locker room.
“In an ideal world we would want everyone on the team to get something, but that’s not always the case with these deals and companies,” Smith said. “We are always open to deals for our athletes, but the priority is always the team and keeping the locker room together.”
As the impacts of NIL continue to unfold, the coaches feel it is important for athletes to be aware of opportunities and also how the collegiate sports industry is affected by NIL.
“Money and NIL become a big factor since we know guys want to stay at NSU, but when those majors start calling and money is available, guys have to make smart decisions for themselves,” Smith said.
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