Athlete Entrepreneurship: Opportunities Created by Name, Image, & Likeness

3 credits

This course will explore the rights of college student-athletes to access entrepreneurial opportunities based on their common law rights of publicity, often called rights of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) that has been created. Historical amateurism rules had prevented college student-athletes from using these rights going back to the 19th Century. The 2021 law change represented a major shift in how intercollegiate athletics may both operate and relate to its athletes, sponsors, and fans. For student-athletes, the ability to use and potentially profit from these rights offer a range of challenges and opportunities and this course will cover including the legal environment around NIL opportunities, the NCAA rules still applicable to NIL, key contractual terms and provisions related to NIL, opportunities allowed and limited under NIL laws and regulation, institutional responsibilities created by NIL, and strategies for limiting risk in pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities.