Colleges scramble to ensure NIL deals are safe, compliant

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Chris Clunie chuckles thinking about what Stephen Curry's marketing potential might've been at Davidson during the Wildcats' remarkable 2008 NCAA Tournament run had Curry played in an era when college students could profit from their own fame and celebrity.

Curry jerseys. Curry shoes. Curry chicken sliders. Who knows what else?

“It would have been absolutely bananas around here,” laughed Clunie, a former Wildcats basketball player who now serves as the college's director of athletics.

The groundbreaking ruling that went into effect Thursday enabling college athletes to profit from use of their name, image or likeness for the first time has sent athletic directors and compliance officers scrambling. Now that the NCAA cleared the way for money to flow — with some restrictions — it is up to schools to help ensure all those endorsement deals and social media shoutout arrangements follow state laws and still-fresh, brand new school policies.

In short, their job responsibilities have increased and become infinitely more complicated.

Clunie said the work is focused on educating athletes about making sure their newly granted marketing decisions are compliant.

“We want to support them,” Clunie said. “We want to make sure kids don’t make bad decisions and get trapped into opportunities that don’t make sense.”

Charlotte is one of many schools that has tried to get ahead of the curve, starting a “Greenlight” initiative to help athletes pursue NIL opportunities. The school has partnered with COMPASS and INFLCR to provide education, monitoring, disclosure, and brand-building help. Many schools have struck deals with companies like that to help connect athlete to deal.

49ers athletic director Mike Hill said ”we have system in place where the student-athletes...