NCAA president Charlie Baker decries ‘dysfunction’ in NIL, urges Congress to act

The president of the NCAA lashed out at “evidence of dysfunction in today’s NIL environment” while reiterating his desire to see Congress create national guidelines to shape so-called name, image and likeness endorsement deals that are reshaping college sports.

Charlie Baker’s social media posting came Friday, wrapping up a week in which UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka made headlines by abruptly ending his season. His agent explained that Sluka made the decision after not being paid $100,000 for an NIL deal that was promised by an assistant coach when the QB agreed to transfer to the Rebels last winter.

Baker didn’t reference the Sluka case directly in his post, but it referenced “promises made but not kept.”

“We continue to see evidence of dysfunction in today’s NIL environment, including examples of promises made but not kept to student-athletes,” Baker said.

He pointed out a template contract the NCAA provides athletes that includes what he calls “recommended, fair terms.” But the NCAA, a steady loser in court in recent years on the issue of player payments, does not have the authority to compel athletes to go by its standards.

On Thursday, attorneys filed a reworded settlement proposal on a lawsuit that would funnel $2.78 billion to current and former players as part of a new revenue-sharing deal between schools and athletes. The NCAA is a defendant in that lawsuit, and the settlement also restricts its oversight on many NIL deals.

The terms of the settlement are supposed to last 10 years, though other factors, such as players’ potential attempt to unionize and either state or federal legislation, will have an impact on what the college landscape looks like going forward.

“We’re continuing to advocate for Congress to create national NIL guidelines that will protect student-athletes from exploitation, including the use of standard contracts,” Baker wrote at the end of his posting.