NCAA launches NIL deal transparency platform to reveal market information

The NCAA’s new name, image and likeness transparency platform, NIL Assist, went live Thursday morning, providing anonymized NIL compensation information as well as a directory of service providers and educational programs.

The app and website, created in partnership with Teamworks, creates for the first time a public database-like platform where athletes and the public can find average and median earnings for NIL deals, sorted by breakdown, sport, position and type of NIL transaction . It’s meant to show, for example, what a Power 4 quarterback makes on average for a social media post — on Thursday morning the website said data dashboard reported that the average disclosure under these parameters was $6,605, but the median was $150.

Here’s an example from the NIL dashboard, which says the average NIL deal on social media for a P4 QB is $6,605, but the median is $150.

(The NCAA emphasized that the data will become more accurate as time goes on and more information comes in). https://t.co/NmGUrSmzXD pic.twitter.com/LvIM3KikpT

— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) August 1, 2024

In January, the Division I Council adopted new rules requiring athletes to disclose any NIL agreement over $600 to their schools, including the terms of the deal, services provided and payment. The schools must then share the information, stripped of names, with the NCAA at least twice a year. More than two dozen states already require similar disclosures.

“We’ve heard from coaches, student-athletes and their families that they want some information about what the marketplace is delivering, and we think if we do it publicly that’s the best way to do it,” said NCAA vice president of academic and membership affairs said David Schnase. “There will be people who want a lot more information than this provides, but at least this is a starting point for people trying to figure that out.”

Although athletes are required to disclose their NIL deals, there is no clear penalty yet for failing to do so. NCAA officials emphasized that this database will not be used as an eligibility trap and is for informational purposes only. The Division I council added an incentive in April, allowing schools to provide more NIL assistance to athletes who disclosed their NIL deals.

“That student-athlete may choose not to disclose, but then they won’t be able to access institutional assistance when it comes to NIL, so we think there’s a little bit of a carrot there,” Schnase said.

Officials cautioned that the data is not complete at launch but will improve over time as more information is entered into the system. They also acknowledged concerns about conflicts of interest with Teamworks, which itself has a NIL management service.

“We view this partnership as an individual endeavor,” said Kevin Barefoot, Teamworks Senior Vice President of Business Development. “We are not taking data from this project and using it in other commercial forms. This is a project in partnership with the NCAA that focused solely on delivering to schools and student-athletes what they requested and voted on under the NCAA bylaws.

In addition to NIL data, the NIL Assist platform has a voluntary service provider register for agents, brands, collectives and products. Officials hope providers will sign up, allowing athletes to find more connections or view previous work, which could help other athletes find an agent in the future.

When The Athletics surveyed agents and collectives earlier this summer and asked about the registry. Several said they would not sign up and doubted its value or impact.

“It was mixed, and we expected that,” Barefoot said of the registry entries. “Some people have said they feel good about the access and visibility among student-athletes. …Perfect is the enemy of good here. If we can get to a point where there is more information available for student-athletes to understand the market and the service providers, that will be a great outcome.

GO DEEPER

What is the future of NIL collectives after the House-NCAA settlement?

The disclosure of NIL data could play a role in the recent proposed settlement in the House of Representatives, which sets out the idea of ​​a clearinghouse to examine contracts and includes the potential creation of an enforcement division to determine the fair market value of NIL deals and whether or not they are valid. real NIL schemes. Collectives have already questioned the legality of this practice, and it’s not clear how that would play out if the settlement is approved.

“There are a lot of things happening outside of what we can control with this platform,” Schnase said. “So while this platform won’t impact those outcomes, when the board starts making decisions, we will have some pretty good data to help them make informed decisions. That’s the most important part of this looking ahead. … I wouldn’t specify the (house settlement), but there are active lawsuits that are affecting a lot of our decisions right now.

(Photo: Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)