Mark Emmert Will Seek Temporary Rules to Allow NCAA Athletes to Profit off NIL

NCAA President Mark Emmert is seeking temporary rules to allow collegiate athletes to profit off their name and likeness as soon as next month, according to the Associated Press.

In a memo sent to member schools Friday, Emmert urged them to change their rules in accordance with impending changes to legislation nationwide. 

"By July, all our athletes should be provided NIL opportunities regardless of the state they happen to live in," he wrote. 

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas have NIL legislation taking effect July 1. Arizona's law will be passed July 23, and laws in 12 other states will allow athletes to profit off of their celebrity in 2022 or later. 

Emmert has previously said he believes rules could be changed before the start of the next football season but wrote in the memo Friday he will act accordingly if changes aren't in place by the end of July, per the AP.

The NCAA Division I Council will meet early next week and may finalize a decision on an NIL proposal that Emmert urged members to delay when it was initially on the table in January. That pause came because the Justice Department told the NCAA that proposed changes could violate antitrust laws. 

The organization will allow athletes to accept payments from third parties, and while it wants to monitor deals, schools will not be involved in any financial transactions. 

"This is an important moment for college sports and particularly for our athletes," Emmert wrote. "We must act to ensure that fair opportunities, consistent with our values, are provided to all student-athletes."