‘...rules that would provide athletes with varying degrees of new protections and opportunities to make money by selling the their name, image and likeness (NIL) rights while playing in college.’
This is long overdue. What is any person without their “name, image and likeness”. These belong to each of us as our “property”. We do not allow use of “property” without just compensation (outright purchase of, rights to use of, etc.)
In real estate, this is called a “Bundle of Rights”. These include: Control, Ownership, Occupancy, Use, Possession, and Enjoyment. Each of us as “persons” has an aspect that relates to each of these Rights Bundles. Institutions have benefitted (sometimes GREATLY) from using these Personal Rights Bundles without paying any just compensation (sure, there’s the argument about providing education but that is more barter and trade than anything else). Institutions have been able to “control” a player’s image and “foreclose” on their ability to earn money), and to have rights of “enjoyment” over the player’s “property” like someone living in a house without paying rent or owning it.
We ARE our name (legally), image (physically), and likeness (ways to present ourselves). And since college players do not have the ability to make money as “employees” or other such subdivisions of the institution they play for, it’s only fair that they be compensated for any use of their “personage”.
Hopefully the powers-that-be get this right and have a fair and equitable formula for rewarding the players in a just way.