(07/07/2021)
Pursuant to Governor Andy Beshear’s Executive Order Issued on June 24, 2021, student-athletes are now permitted to use their name, image and likeness (NIL) for purposes of compensation beginning July 1, 2021. The EO will remain in effect until superseded by federal or state law.
In addition, the NCAA has adopted a uniform interim policy suspending their own NIL rules. While opening NIL opportunities to student-athletes, the Division I policy preserves the Association’s commitment to avoid pay-for-play and improper inducements tied to choosing to attend a particular school. Those rules remain in effect.
Permissible student-athlete NIL activities must involve the student-athlete completing an NIL-related activity (e.g. endorsing a commercial product or service; posting/tweeting about a product or service; making a public and/or in-store appearance; signing autographs; etc.), and should be at fair market value, in order to be compensated by a third-party for the NIL activity.
Eastern Kentucky University boosters (e.g., donors) may compensate an Eastern Kentucky University student-athlete in exchange for the student-athlete promoting or endorsing the booster’s business, or fulfilment of other permissible NIL activities.
Compensation in exchange for a contract of endorsement, promotion, or other activity that the University determines is in conflict with an existing contract of endorsement, promotional, or other activity entered by the University is not permitted.
Permissible NIL transactions are between a student-athlete and a third party. Eastern Kentucky University is not a party to a student-athlete’s NIL transactions.
Per the Governor’s Executive Order, compensation by, arranged by, or at the direction of the University that supports or benefits the University is not permitted.
The University will provide educational programming on NIL and other support services and resoucres, as permitted.
Student-athletes are obligated, per procedures specified, to disclose all of their NIL activities to Eastern Kentucky University.
