NCAA Division I Modifies Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) Rules and Penalties Effective Immediately
October 29, 2025
By: Robert H. Kirchner, Richard J. Evrard, Michael Sheridan, Kyle Skillman
The NCAA Division I Board of Directors made significant modifications to the rules pertaining to the reporting of NIL deals to the designated clearinghouse, NIL Go.
Under legislation that was adopted this summer, Division I student-athletes “shall report all noninstitutional name, image and likeness contracts or payment terms, including those involving associated entities or individuals, with a total value of $600” within five business days of execution of the agreement containing the payment terms. (NCAA Division I Bylaws 22.2.2 and 22.2.2.2).
Yesterday, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors exercised their emergency legislation powers to amend the current rules to specify the consequences of student-athletes for failing to comply with their reporting obligation and to impose new reporting obligations on Division I institutions that are aware of their student-athletes’ noncompliance.
Under the amended legislation, if a student-athlete fails to report an agreement or payment within the five day period, the College Sports Commission (CSC) may impose discipline, including “rendering the student-athlete ineligible for future practice and competition.” (NCAA Division I Bylaw 22.2.2.2).
Pursuant to a newly enacted rule, if a Division I institution learns that a student-athlete failed to report a contract or payment, the institution has two business days within which it must determine if a failure to report occurred and report any violation to the CSC. If the student-athlete has not reported the deal to NIL Go within the two business day period, “the CSC shall immediately render the student-athlete ineligible for practice and competition … until the deal is reported.” (NCAA Division I Bylaw 22.2.2.2.1 (emphasis added)).
This new legislation was made effective immediately. Therefore, under its literal terms, any Division I institutions that have preexisting knowledge of their student-athletes’ violations of the NIL deal reporting rules have until tomorrow to inform the CSC of those violations and their student-athletes have the same time frame to report the deals or the CSC could render the student-athletes ineligible for practice and competitions as soon as Friday. The institution’s reporting obligation applies to any unreported NIL deals it learns of going forward.
If you have questions about how Bond can assist your institution, please contact Bob Kirchner, Rick Evrard, Kyle Skillman, Mike Sheridan or any other member of Bond’s Collegiate Sports practice.
