NASHVILLE — Plans for colleges and universities to pay athletes directly for their name, image and likeness deals would run afoul of Title IX, the Department of Education said in guidance issued Thursday that adds more confusion to the shifting landscape in college sports.
The nine-page memo from the department’s Office for Civil Rights said NIL money that goes to athletes should be treated the same as athletic financial aid — i.e., scholarships. It’s a position that, if it remains in place after President-elect Donald Trump takes office Monday, could upend plans that many schools are making for the 2025-26 school year.
Under terms of the House vs. NCAA settlement, a game-changing legal agreement that’s expected to be approved this spring, universities will be able to pay athletes directly under a revenue-sharing plan in which the biggest schools distribute close to $20.5 million each to athletes.
Many schools have publicly stated that the majority of that money would go to football and men’s basketball players, which, according to the guidance, would be in violation of Title IX.
“When a school provides athletic financial assistance in forms other than scholarships or grants, including compensation for the use of a student-athlete’s NIL, such assistance also must be made proportionately available to male and female athletes,” the memo read.