February 23, 2024<\/p>\n
Name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals are a murky area of law, especially for promising young athletes hoping to establish themselves in their respective sports. In the wake of the Supreme Court\u2019s decision in National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Alston (2021), states across the country\u2014including Pennsylvania\u2014have adopted NIL policies permitting NIL deals for high school athletes. But while Alston<\/em> opened the gates to young athletes to profit off their own reputation, the landscape which lies beyond has been deemed \u2018the wild West\u2019 for its novelty and challenges.<\/p>\n Announced at Temple University as a \u201cfirst in the nation\u201d effort of its kind, the Philadelphia NIL Youth Protection Act aims to address these murky waters and provide clarity to young athletes who often find themselves overwhelmed, even victimized, in the NIL process. As part of a joint effort between Temple Law\u2019s Sports Law Program, led by Professor Ken Jacobsen, and Philadelphia City Councilman Isaiah Thomas, the Bill, introduced in January, would establish a program whereby qualified student athletes and\/or their families can access up to five billable hours of legal and financial representation to assist in evaluating any prospective NIL Deal. Qualifying households are those with an annual income of less than $150,000. The Bill further would provide for the development of educational materials for these families, covering topics such as the benefits and risks associated with NIL deals, and some of their most common forms.<\/p>\n Aside from the Bill, the partnership between Temple Law and Councilman Thomas is already having a substantive impact. The law school has established a hotline screened by Temple Law students, where student athletes and\/or parents can call to obtain free legal advice on NIL deals. If a specific NIL deal is on the table, they can even connect directly with Professor Jacobsen or another attorney specializing in NIL contracting. The partnership is ultimately aimed at providing guidance to young athletes, streamlining the NIL process, and eliminating the predatory practices that have developed over the two-and-a-half years since Alston<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis bill addresses various components to protect and educate our high school students and their families in the Name, Image and Likeness space, so that they could have confidence going forward that if they are entering into these deals, they\u2019re doing it with their eyes wide open and not jeopardizing their eligibility,\u201d said Professor Jacobsen, the Director of Temple Law\u2019s Sports Law Program. He continued that although the changes in the law have largely been beneficial to student athletes in profiting off their own work, there are nonetheless navigational hurdles for them to overcome. \u201cWhere do you and we expect a 14, 15, 16 year old student to know what contract language is appropriate, to learn and to understand the kinds of risks, and kinds of rewards that might be available even if they\u2019re allowed to get an NIL deal?\u201d Jacobsen said.<\/p>\n The Philadelphia Bill may pave the way for other similar NIL legislation state- or even nation-wide. Pennsylvania State Senator Jimmy Dillon (D-Philadelphia) voiced his appreciation for the Bill, stating his hopes that other municipalities emulate its efforts throughout the Commonwealth. Dillon serves on the state Pennsylvania Athletic Oversight Committee. Professor Jacobsen echoed these comments, adding that he \u201cwould be very surprised\u201d if the design of the Bill and the partnership isn\u2019t picked up across the country.<\/p>\n John Kuhlmeier (LAW \u201925) is a Student Editor for the Temple 10-Q.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" February 23, 2024
\nA partnership between Professor Ken Jacobsen and Councilman Isaiah Thomas has placed Temple Law and the city of Philadelphia at the forefront of legislation aimed at guiding young athletes through the NIL process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":3814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2550,13,16,2407,17],"tags":[2772,2773,2774,2775,2404,2776,2777,2778,2768,1059,2408],"coauthors":[2771],"class_list":["post-3813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-law","category-business-law-practice","category-law-school-and-legal-education","category-sports-law","category-student-authored","tag-counsel","tag-image","tag-legal-advice","tag-likeness","tag-name","tag-national-collegiate-athletic-association-v-alston","tag-nil","tag-philadelphia-nil-youth-protection-act","tag-sports-business","tag-sports-law","tag-student-athletes-2","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"yoast_head":"\n