College athletes in Utah will now need written approval from their schools for any business deal exceeding $600, according to a bill passed by the state Senate. The bill aims to give Utah universities more control over student-athletes' marketing partnerships, known as NIL deals. Under the new requirements, universities will be required to provide written acknowledgment on whether an NIL deal conflicts with the school's policies or the standards outlined in the bill. The bill also prohibits student-athletes from promoting alcohol, marijuana, controlled substances, tobacco products, gambling, sports-betting, sexually oriented businesses, and firearms they cannot legally possess. The legislation will take effect on May 1 if signed by Republican Gov. Spencer Cox. While the bill has received support from Utah universities, critics argue that it undermines transparency and regulatory efforts. [c4225f73]
In other news, the University of Minnesota Gophers athletes have signed 272 endorsement deals, revealing the power of the NIL policy changes in college sports. Women on campus have signed 61% of the deals, outpacing their male counterparts. The data shows that women's sports at the U of M are ahead in this count. Some of the endorsement agreements are rate-based, and the data is incomplete and heavily redacted. The leading sport for the number of NIL deals is football, with 59 reported deals in this timeframe. Social media-related endorsements accounted for 57% of the agreements. Athletes like Mara Braun have signed NIL deals with companies like JBL and Minnesota-based KLN Family Brands and promoted their brands to their audience. Braun believes NIL can be used to support causes and stand for things bigger than oneself. [8b416feb]