Throughout the duration of his career in collegiate football, Rich Rodriguez has watched the sport evolve into a sport where athletes can obtain endorsement deals for their Name, Image, and Likeness. Funding for NIL has put certain programs on top of the college football world and Wren Baker and Rich Rodriguez are attempting to do the same for West Virginia.
Last Tuesday, Rich Rodriguez and Athletic Director, Wren Baker appeared in front of the West Virginia Senate in an attempt to persuade the senate to pass two NIL Bills. House Bills 2576 and 2595, both would aim to give colleges and universities in the state of West Virginia the ability to set up nonprofit organizations that can work directly with student-athletes on NIL deals. These nonprofits would be able to offer compensation through revenue sharing and help connect athletes with other NIL opportunities.
House Bill 2572, outlines how student-athletes can be paid while putting a few protective measures in place. It clarifies that athletes won’t be considered employees and that their scholarships will not be affected by NIL contracts. The bill also blocks NIL deals with companies in controversial industries such as alcohol, tobacco, and adult entertainment.
Meanwhile, its counterpart, House Bill 2595 would allow schools to create new nonprofit organizations focused specifically on athletics. These nonprofits would be tasked with managing NIL deals and distributing revenue-sharing funds to athletes.
When addressing the senate Wren Baker said “As you all know because you follow it, college athletics is rapidly evolving and changing. This legislation really gives us the opportunity to compensate the student-athletes for their name, image, and likeness.” Furthermore, Rodriguez believes that West Virginia University is in a prime area to succeed and benefit from the passage of these bills along side the state because when West Virginia Athletics do well, the rest of the state does well. “Having been around the country a little bit the past few years, I’m even more convinced now that we are in a unique spot to collectively win and have success. And it’s not all about winning, but a lot of it is bringing positive attention to our state. When you have success in athletics, and it’s in a national profile, you can maybe change some people’s mind about the kind of people that are in the state of West Virginia,” said Rodriguez.
If this gets approved, West Virginia University will be required to dish out over 20 million dollars to student-athletes. However, this could be what puts West Virginia Athletics ahead of the recruiting curve and allow West Virginia to recruit and commit to athletes for years to come.
