–submitted by Kevin Hoffman
Brian Mason is the Director of Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) Strategy with the UW Athletic Department. Under recent state legislation and Supreme Court decisions the rights of student athletes to control and use their name, image and likeness for monetary gain was established. There is also federal legislation pending with the objective of creating a level playing field for all athletes and programs instead of fifty different sets of laws to follow. He clarified that NIL cannot be used as a recruiting inducement by schools.
The NIL strategy at UW seeks to facilitate the connection between student athletes and businesses. In addition to the traditional pillars of athletic performance, academic achievement, and personal development, the impact of financial advancement is also positively guided and supported. The UW Athletic Department works toward helping the student athlete develop the business and life skills to manage NIL benefits.
If you missed our meeting last week, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7za6kqTh-uQ&t=1918s.
Rotary Club of Madison, Wisconsin 