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Texas Tech University System leaders have given Gov. Greg Abbott permission to temporarily override a law that prohibits the university and other Texas universities from directly paying salaries to college athletes they are recruiting. I am asking you to do so.
Texas Tech leaders say without the governor’s permission, Texas schools could be at a significant disadvantage when recruiting players for the school year starting next fall.
“Our great state’s universities, all alumni and fans deserve a level playing field to attract and retain the best student-athletes to Texas,” said Tech System Board of Governors Mark Griffin. In a letter to Abbott, the chairman and vice-chairman Cody Campbell said: By The Texas Tribune.
Three years ago, Texas universities entered into direct NIL agreements with current and prospective student-athletes when the state legislature authorized Texas college athletes to be compensated for the use of their “name, image, and likeness.” Added a clause prohibiting this.
States without this restriction can enter into agreements with players who decide which college they will play for in November and December, Texas Tech executives argued.
“As a result, TTU and other Texas universities are severely limited in their ability to recruit student-athletes, and Texas universities are likely to lose recruiting to universities in states that do not have these restrictions.” said.
Mr. Abbott did not immediately respond to a request for comment. TechSystem declined further comment.
Texas’ NIL law, passed in 2021, prohibits universities from paying student-athletes directly, but allows athletes to receive compensation from outside parties such as local car dealerships or national advertising agencies, or from pooling funds. He acknowledges that he receives compensation through the organization “NIL Collective,” which donates to “NIL Collective.” Their money pays student-athletes for special appearances and autograph sessions.
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The law also allows college athletes to hire agents. Athletes are required to take a financial literacy workshop in their first and third years. Student-athletes are prohibited from contracting with certain industries, including alcohol, tobacco products, casino gambling, firearms that student-athletes cannot legally purchase, or “sexually oriented” businesses.
Texas Tech leaders said they expect the state Legislature to amend the law in the next legislative session. But until that happens, they say, the governor needs to step in.
State Sen. Brandon Clayton (R-Conroe), who authored Texas’ NIL law, did not respond to a request for comment on whether he supports reforming the law.
Texas Tech’s request to Abbott comes months after a preliminary settlement in a nationwide class-action lawsuit appeared to clear the way for universities across the country to pay student-athletes directly. The lawsuit involves former student-athletes who allege that the NCAA and five sports conferences prevented athletes from profiting from their names, images and likenesses when they compete in college sports. He claimed that he had violated the law.
As part of the preliminary settlement, Division I universities across the country will be allowed to receive more than $20 million in annual athletic revenue and use it to fund NIL agreements with student-athletes, creating so-called revenue-sharing agreements. The proposed settlement would also distribute $2.75 billion to college athletes who played in college dating back to 2016.
A final settlement is not expected to be approved until next spring.
Texas Tech University trustees said current state law prevents Texas universities from directly offering offers, including NIL contracts, to 2025 freshmen.
“We are concerned that without this guidance and assurance of non-enforcement of Texas law, Texas universities will be at a significant disadvantage in recruiting and retaining student-athletes to our programs.” wrote the regents.
The regents asked Abbott to guarantee that the state would not enforce the ban on in-person agreements for students as long as the agreements begin after July 2025 and comply with other conditions if a settlement is reached. . They said they understand the agreement may depend on whether the state Legislature changes state law next year.
NIL laws have had a significant impact on college athletics since they were passed in states such as Texas.
While wealthy fan bases like the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M have been able to spend millions of dollars to attract top athletes, smaller schools have struggled to keep up. The revenue-sharing model expected in the settlement would give universities new ways to recruit top athletes, but it would also mean huge new expenses for athletic departments, further expanding their budgets. .
The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus for higher education coverage.
Disclosure: Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University System, and the University of Texas at Austin are financial contributors to The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization funded in part by contributions from members, foundations, and corporate sponsors. I am a supporter. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. See the complete list of them here.
