A Florida senator says the NCAA is about to have a mess on its hands when legislation for Name, Image and Likeness begins later this summer for some states.
Last week, NCAA President Mark Emmert called on the NCAA Council to enact legislation regarding the NIL prior to July 1, when some state laws will begin allowing student-athletes to profit from the use of their name, image and likeness.
The NCAA continues to show its indifference toward the rapidly evolving name, image and likeness saga in college athletics.
Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio told Brian Murphy of the News & Observer in Raleigh on Tuesday, the situation with the NIL is about to become a mess.
Rubio says states were passing new laws in an attempt to force the NCAA’s hands. But on Monday, reports circulated the NCAA Council is unlikely to pass anything to set a nationwide standard on NIL during their meeting this week.
“The reason why states are acting is to force the NCAA’s hands and if they don’t, then Congress will have to step in, otherwise we’re going to have a royal mess on our hands,” Rubio said in a tweet from Murphy.
The council meets on Wednesday and is responsible for all major rule changes in college athletics.
Five states including Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and New Mexico have differing NIL laws that go into affect on July 1.
Without a national standard other states will be left behind. South Carolina passed an NIL bill that is set to go into effect on July 1, 2022, but it has yet to be signed by Governor Henry McMaster.
The council convenes again in June but the sentiment among conference commissioners is that the inaction will continue.
Rubio does not see anyway Congress can act on this matter by July, when some states, like Florida, are expected to have their rules go into effect.
“We’ve tried for a year. Ideally, the NCAA would have fixed it,” he said in another Murphy tweet. “They’re going to have a mess on their hands.”
Can Congress act by July 1 (when some state #NIL laws go into effect)? Rubio: "Oh, I doubt that. We’ve tried for a year. Ideally, the NCAA would have fixed it. They're going to have a mess on their hands."
— Brian Murphy (@murphsturph) May 18, 2021
More Rubio: "It’s irrelevant whether you agree with it or not. A lot of my colleagues think, 'They shouldn’t get anything.' It’s irrelevant. States are now going this direction." #NIL
— Brian Murphy (@murphsturph) May 18, 2021
Last one: "I don’t know how you can restrict American citizens." Rubio put forward an #NIL bill last year: https://t.co/rOWAC8hdOL Florida is one of the first states where #NIL is scheduled to go into effect this summer.
— Brian Murphy (@murphsturph) May 18, 2021
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