History of Knight Commission Work on Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) Models and Issues

General News

The following provides links to papers and videos from prior Knight Commission meetings where potential changes of NCAA rules regarding the use of student-athletes names, images and likenesses (NIL) were considered. These discussions preceded the passage of California’s SB 206 in September 2019 that will allow student-athletes at California universities to be compensated for the use of their names, images and likenesses starting on January 1, 2023. In October 2019, the NCAA Board of Governors voted unanimously “to permit students participating in athletics the opportunity to benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness” in a manner consistent with the collegiate model. The legislative changes that will enable such an outcome will be developed and considered in 2020.

The information below provides some highlights of the Knight Commission’s involvement in this issue over the past decade. This information is helpful to understanding the history of this issue, potential new models and potential unintended consequences such new models might create.