Why FSU AD Michael Alford is cautiously optimistic on how NCAA House Settlement will work
The settlement, which was approved on June 6, allows, but importantly doesn't require, schools to directly pay their athletes for the use of their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), subject to an annual cap based on athletics department media revenue, estimated to be about $20.5 million in its first year of implementation.
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Alford has long voiced his support for the settlement and its landscape-changing impacts on collegiate athletics, and in the BOT meeting, he called it a "good thing for college athletics."
"We are really excited about it, it's a changing environment in collegiate athletics. We have elected to be a part of it," Alford said. "We're going to compensate, and are working on our budget to compensate our student athletes at the highest, elitetist level we can do to continue to compete for championships."
While supportive of the new era, Alford voiced concerns about the enforcement of the new guidelines.
THE AFTERMATH: As Florida State-ACC lawsuit ends, here's how the settlement provides clear exit path
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"The system will work, we just have to allow it to work. I'm in full favor of the system and the audit that comes behind it," Alford said. "What I'm skeptical of, and have let my feelings be known to our ACC legal counsel and our commissioner, is the enforcement."
Alford said he's heard from coaches at FSU that other universities are conducting and attempting to implement deals that would violate the current agreement.
"I'm hearing other things that people are doing out there, and our coaches are informing me of this, and my response is, 'That's not legal in the new system," Alford said. "They can't be promising kids this."
In conversation with the ACC, Alford said he's in favor of how the conference is going to respond to violations of the new polices.
Michael Alford: FSU athletes have already seen impact of House settlement
One major change in particular is the creation of the NIL GO, a clearinghouse powered by Deloitte under the newly created College Sports Commission.
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Third-party deals ― agreements between athletes and boosters or other entities ― worth more than $600 are required to be reported to the clearinghouse to be approved or denied, something Alford said FSU athletes have already seen happen.
Deals will be evaluated on if they serve valid business opportunities instead of potential recruiting incentives.
"We've already had people inserting agreements, and agreements have already come back denied," Alford said. "It's a new process, I'm familiar with it, I'm in favor of it, and I think it's going to work... what I'm talking to the commissioner about, even as of yesterday, is the enforcement."
"More information on that should be coming out real soon."
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Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU AD Michael Alford concerned about House settlement enforcement
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