Regents to Hear Updates on Name, Image, Likeness from Universities

At its July 28, 2021 meeting, The Board of Regents will hear presentations from each university on institutional efforts to education student-athletes on their name, image and likeness (NIL) rights following the suspension of NCAA rules regarding NIL.

Effective July 1, 2021, all Regent student-athletes are permitted to exercise their NIL rights and opportunities. This means that student-athletes are now able to earn financial benefits by licensing their name, image and likeness to commercial products or services through product deals and marketing promotions. 

The University of Iowa announced its comprehensive NIL program, FLIGHT, in June. FLIGHT creates and oversees educational programming for student-athletes and helps to equip them with the tools necessary to utilize their NIL rights.

“As we navigate this new era of college athletics and name, image, likeness, we are fully committed to supporting our student-athletes throughout the process,” said Gary Barta, Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair at the University of Iowa, during the FLIGHT announcement. 

UI Athletics has expanded its partnership with INFLCR, a platform designed to assist college athletic departments with content and compliance, and current student-athletes with monetizing their personal brands. Iowa State and the University of Northern Iowa currently are exploring similar partnerships with third party vendors. 

Educating student-athletes on their NIL rights and best practices currently is a top priority for all three institutions. Providing student-athletes the educational resources needed to help them navigate a new athletics landscape following NCAA suspension of NIL restrictions is paramount to the success of all three athletics departments.