NIL
INDIANA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS NIL POLICY – NAIA INSTITUTIONS (pdf version)
EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2021
1. PHILOSOPHY AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Indiana University has always been committed to providing world-class educational opportunities, through both traditional and nontraditional delivery modalities, in addition to championship level athletic opportunities for all students participating in intercollegiate athletics. IU East Athletics’ educational programming and support is designed to help student-athletes reach their highest academic potential and earn an Indiana University degree.
With the NAIA providing guidance to allow student-athletes to be compensated for their name, image, and likeness (“NIL”), IU Athletics at our regional campuses are committed to providing educational opportunities in this area to its student-athletes to empower and prepare them to maximize their opportunity with respect to NIL, while also protecting their NAIA eligibility. IU Athletics’ efforts to educate its student-athletes will be broad in areas of NIL.
2. NAIA GUIDANCE
The NAIA has adopted guidance governing student-athletes’ NIL activities (the “NAIA Rules”). The NAIA Rules permit student-athletes to receive compensation from use of their name, image, or likeness when promoting a commercial product or enterprise, or for a public or media appearance, and to allow individuals to represent student-athletes in these promotions or agreements with a professional sports organization.
Student-athletes must notify their athletics director of any name, image, and likeness compensation received within 10 days following the activity. The NAIA’s National Coordinating Committee (NCC) has the authority to review a student’s failure to uphold this responsibility and apply penalties, as necessary.
A student-athlete receiving compensation for the use of his or her name, image, and likeness to promote a commercial product or enterprise, or public or media appearance must report it in writing (see section 9 below for details) to his or her athletics director when such promotion incudes reference to his or her status as a student-athlete or institution. Failure to do so shall result in an institutional self-report violation, to be reviewed by the National Coordinating Committee. The committee is empowered to review such violations and apply penalties as necessary, including but not limited to a warning or reprimand to the student-athlete, withholding the student from future competitions, and/or determining the student has lost his or her amateur status.
3. NAME, IMAGE, AND LIKENESS ACTIVITIES
Subject to the NAIA rules and this IU Athletics policy, IU regional campus student-athletes may use their NIL in a variety of ways that may include, but is not limited to, promoting their own business, promoting, or endorsing a corporate entity (e.g., a brand ambassador or social media influencer); conducting camps, lessons or clinics; making appearances; or signing autographs. IU regional campus student-athletes may receive compensation, either in-kind or monetarily, for engaging in NIL activities, subject to the NAIA rules and this IU Athletics policy. IU regional campus student-athletes may engage in NIL activities and receive corresponding compensation from University donors or sponsors so long as the compensation is for the NIL activity and is not a recruiting inducement or an inducement to remain enrolled at any IU campus.
4. USE OF AGENTS OR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
IU regional campus student-athletes are encouraged to obtain professional advice to assist them with NIL activities. IU Athletics encourages its student-athletes to thoroughly vet any such agents or advisors prior to working with them, as IU Athletics will not be responsible for any agreement or contractual obligation, whether with an agent or other third party.
5. USE OF UNIVERSITY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Student-athletes are not permitted to use IU’s intellectual property, including its trademarks, logos, or symbols, to either implicitly or expressly endorse a third party or product without the prior written approval of IU’s Office of Licensing and Trademarks. Student-athletes may autograph and sell officially licensed memorabilia that includes University marks. Per policy, student-athletes may not sell products provided by IU Athletics or awards received for intercollegiate athletic participation while they are a student-athlete.
6. TEAM ACTIVITIES AND ACADEMIC OBLIGATIONS
Student-athletes cannot engage in NIL activities during the course of team activities, which include competitions, practices, and team gatherings and meetings. Student-athletes also must not allow NIL activities to interfere with their academic obligations.
7. FACILITY USE
Student-athletes may, subject to availability and subject to the terms of a facility use agreement, use IU Athletics’ regional campus facilities to conduct camps, clinics, or lessons if the student-athlete pays the standard facility rental rate. Consistent with Section 5 above, student-athletes may not use IU facilities in such a manner that creates the impression – either express or implied - that IU expressly or indirectly endorses a third party or product, unless prior written approval is obtained from IU’s Office of Licensing and Trademarks.
8. RESTRICTED CATEGORIES
Student-athletes must not use their NIL to promote gambling, alcohol products, tobacco products, adult entertainment, substances banned by the NAIA, or products or services that are illegal.
9. DISCLOSURE OF NIL ACTIVITIES
In the course of their education and participation at IU, student-athletes must disclose any NIL activities to their Athletics Director through the NAIA NIL Disclosure Form ( https://www.naia.org/membership/nil-submit-details ) within ten (10) days following the activity. IU Athletics highly recommends that student-athletes complete the NIL Disclosure Form prior to the NIL activity whenever possible so that their regional campus athletic department can ensure the activity does not jeopardize the student-athlete’s eligibility.
10. FINANCIAL AID
Student-athletes should be aware that receiving compensation for NIL activities could have an impact on their financial aid, especially for those receiving Pell Grants. Student-athletes are encouraged to consult with the financial aid office on their home campus to fully understand these potential impacts.
11. INTERNATIONAL STUDENT-ATHLETES
International student-athletes should discuss how receiving compensation may impact their VISA status with the IU Office of International Services and their athletic department prior to engaging in NIL activities.