Emporia State University’s Athletics Department is navigating through the implications of Monday’s US Supreme Court ruling on financial compensations for college athletes.
Athletics Director Kent Weiser says the Supreme Court opinion seems to be geared towards Division I football and basketball, so he doesn’t see a lot of impact for Emporia State or the rest of Division II. Many ESU athletes pay some of their tuition because they are on partial scholarships. ESU is researching ways to help its athletes if it’s determined more help is needed.
Weiser says this could filter into name, image and likeness, or NIL, conversations that have been underway for years at the Division I level and are also part of the planning conversation at the Division II level. Weiser says ESU and the MIAA are tracking national trends to make sure the rules in other states can apply in Kansas. ESU is also researching what the Athletics Department’s role can be in augmenting students’ NIL opportunities.
The Supreme Court unanimously upheld a lower court ruling that said the NCAA was violating antitrust laws by limiting the education-related benefits schools can give their athletes. At least for the short term, schools can offer unlimited compensation to athletes, so long as it has some connection to their education.
