Regents accept NIL task force report and recommend agent registration, student protections

The Board of Regents voted to accept a report from its Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) Task Force that lays out legislative recommendations and best practices to protect student athletes at the high‑school and collegiate levels.

Presenters — including Miss Golden Phillips and Jolie Lyles of the attorney general’s office — summarized the task force’s work since mid‑2025, described the federal and settlement context and said colleges can now pay student athletes directly under the recent house settlement. Jolie Lyles described the legal arc and warned of a quickly changing landscape: “In 2021, the NCAA finally allowed student athletes to earn compensation for their name, image, and likeness,” she said, and presenters noted the house settlement includes reporting requirements and a per‑university cap on direct compensation.

The report recommended expanding the athlete‑agent registration process to cover NIL representatives, adding background checks and a public registration database so student athletes and parents can identify registered agents. Presenters urged mandatory institutional NIL policies, parental consent and prohibited industries for high‑school NIL deals (for example, alcohol, tobacco and adult entertainment), and proposed studying trust accounts for minors modeled after child‑actor protections so high‑school athletes can safeguard earned funds.

The task force also recommended that institutions consider Title IX implications when engaging in revenue sharing and urged uniform treatment of international students to avoid jeopardizing visas. Senior staff recommended the board accept the report; a motion to accept carried with no objections.

Regents praised the task force’s broad representation — including legislators, athletic directors and student athletes — and emphasized the need to monitor federal action while setting state baselines. The board asked staff to incorporate the recommendations in the 2026 legislative agenda and return with implementation guidance.