Sen. Thune offers potential NIL regulation

Name, image, and likeness deals have run rampant in college sports, and it’s gotten to the point where Capitol Hill is involved.

Coaches and conference commissioners have met with political leaders – Nick Saban has even discussed the matter with President Donald Trump.

GOP Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he is ready to get on the floor and get to a potential solution.

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Mar 25, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) speaking to reporters about the the issue of a magazine editor that was added to a group chat where top Trump administration officials were discussing military plans alongsid (Jack Gruber-USA TODAY via Imagn Images / IMAGN)

“Power Four schools keep sniffing around, trying to recruit people. The transfer portal on the name, image and likeness, NIL, have really transformed college sports. And honestly, I think we’re going to need a solution on NIL, because every state now is putting their own [regulations],” Thune told the “Ruthless” podcast.

Thune said that Democrats want college athletes to unionize, but that could cause a problem for most mid-major schools, Olympic athletes, and women’s sports that may not generate the revenue that their counterparts bring in.

So, Thune offered up a potential idea.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) speaks to reporters following the weekly Senate luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on December 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. Thune spoke on the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act and the upcoming govern (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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“I think there’s an argument for Congress to act, but I hope we can find a way to land this thing that doesn’t entail a unionization in creating this sort of new business model. I think one thing you could do, for sure, to create transparency, is have a standard uniform contract that athletes, schools, parents, everybody knows what the deal is. Because right now, it’s like the NFL without a contract. They go from one year to the next year, they just go to whoever’s gonna pay them the most. So I think everybody can sort of know what the deal is so this isn’t in the opaque, dark world,” Thune said.

“There are a lot of other things right now – defense authorization, funding the government, and maybe Russia sanctions and lot of stuff coming at us that we’re going to have to deal with. But I think if the relevant committees can sit down, start working through this, I’d certainly be open, if we get a window to do it, to put something on the floor that would create at least some clear clarity around and certainty of what the deal is.”

The NCAA logo is seen on the basket stanchion before the game between the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles and the Florida Gators in the second round game of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Indiana Farmers Coliseum on March 21, 2021 in Indiana (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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College athletes were finally able to profit off their name, image, and likeness in 2021, but at the time, not many predicted that this would be the result.