Tennessee Setting Up the Groundwork for a Zero-Pay Model Matthew Postins
Between two and three minutes
Vols considering paying athletes directly in the future
Name, Image, and Likeness might eventually turn from collectives to support from universities. At least one well-known athletic department is getting ready in case that happens.
The University of Tennessee, which dealt with an NCAA inquiry into NIL and recruitment earlier this year, is now getting ready to create a non-profit organization that would be able to pay its student-athletes’ salaries in the event that circumstances warranted.
The Knoxville News reports that the concept has gained so much popularity that the UT Board of Trustees has authorized it. It does not imply that the Volunteers will compensate its athletes. It simply indicates that it is getting ready for the potential.
Chancellor Donde Plowman stated, “It’s really an effort to try to be agile and be ready for the coming changes.” The nonprofit organization is still without a name.
However, its primary goal will be to increase the effectiveness of Tennessee’s athletic department’s economic operations, which may involve buying sporting goods without going through a bidding procedure, rather than paying athletes. Long-term, the foundation might be used to compensate participants.