In less than three weeks, Auburn football will return to the national stage, with the Tigers hosting Alabama A&M on the final day of August. Auburn and the rest of the FBS will enter the fourth year of the name, image, and likeness (NIL) era next fall. On Thursday, Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville, formerly the head coach of Auburn, Cincinnati, Ole Miss, and Texas Tech, shared his persistent desire for national regulations surrounding NIL.
Tuberville, alongside Democratic West Virginia senator Joe Manchin, has long pushed for ‘clear’ national regulation on NIL, introducing the Pass Act of 2023 last summer. Tuberville took to Twitter, also known as X, again voicing his support for the bill on Thursday with the 2024 season rapidly approaching.
Tommy Tuberville: Continues Battle for NIL Regulations
Three seasons ago, the college football landscape changed forever with the addition of NIL at the amateur level. Now, with the ability to earn compensation legally, recruiting has turned into an arms race with little regulation on NIL deals and structure. Transfer portal rules have also become more liberal, with players no longer needing to sit out a season post-transfer in most cases. With many governing bodies, including the NCAA, eyeing regulations towards NIL, former Auburn football coach and current Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville submitted the Pass Act of 2023 last summer as a potential guideline to keep NIL in check.
However, with the introduction of the Pass Act now well in the rearview mirror and the 2024 season kicking off in less than ten days, Tuberville took to Twitter to continue his push for regulations regarding NIL.
We are 10 days away from the return of college football, and other collegiate sports are just around the corner.
But they are in danger because we don’t have clear national rules on NIL.
If we are going to save college sports, we must pass the PASS Act.https://t.co/bUFRlQ22UD
— Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) August 14, 2024
“We are 10 days away from the return of college football, and other collegiate sports are just around the corner. But they are in danger because we don’t have clear national rules on NIL. If we are going to save college sports, we must pass the PASS Act.”
Tuberville: Pass Act of 2023
This time last year, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators, led by former Auburn football head coach turned senator Tommy Tuberville and West Virginia senator Joe Manchin, presented the Pass Act of 2023 intending to “strike a balance between protecting the right of student-athletes and maintaining the integrity of college sports.”
Federal lawmakers continue to introduce bills that would help shape and reform the current landscape of college sports, specifically with the introduction of NIL in 2021. According to ESPN’s Dan Murphy, the NCAA is also invested in regulating NIL, which would prevent state legislatures from passing laws devised to give teams in their state a competitive edge in recruiting.
The Pass Act of 2023 would require universities to provide health coverage for student-athletes eight years after they conclude their college eligibility. Additionally, schools that net more than $20 million in revenue would be mandated to cover out-of-pocket medical costs for student-athletes at least two years after their college playing career ends. Those schools that generate more than $50 million in revenue would cover out-of-pocket medical costs for student-athletes within four years of the conclusion of their college eligibility. The bill will also require those representing college athletes to seize a certification from the NCAA while also making NIL data public.
Tuberville would also like the Pass Act of 2023 to force student-athletes to sit out a season after transferring unless they have used at least three years of eligibility or are the subject of an extreme circumstance (death of a family member).
“We need to ensure the integrity of our higher education system, remain focused on education, and keep the playing field level,” said Tuberville last year.
Tommy Tuberville: Longtime Auburn Football Coach
Before serving as the U.S. Senator of Alabama and pushing for national regulations regarding NIL, Tuberville coached college football for two decades, highlighted by leading the Auburn Tigers from 1999 to 2008. After a 5-6 record in his inaugural season with Auburn football, Tuberville and company appeared in eight straight bowl games, compiling a 5-3 postseason record. The 2004 rendition of the Tigers posted a 13-0, winning the Sugar Bowl and finishing second in the final AP Poll rankings.
Before Auburn, Tuberville led the Ole Miss Rebels from 1995 to 1998, going 45-25. His post-Auburn career consisted of a three-year stop with Texas Tech and a four-year stint with the Cincinnati Bearcats. Tuberville owned a 49-39 record during that span.
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