By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer MIAMI (AP) — The NCAA is set to delay a potential landmark vote on legislation that would permit college athletes to be compensated for their fame for the first time after the association received a warning from the Department of Justice about potential antitrust violations.
NCAA President Mark Emmert on Saturday emailed a letter to Makan Delrahim, assistant attorney general of the DOJ’s antitrust division, saying he strongly recommended putting off votes on new name, image and likeness rules by two key legislative bodies that had been scheduled for next week.
USA Today reported Friday that Delrahim had sent a letter to Emmert, expressing concerns about the NCAA’s NIL proposal and the restrictions it put on athletes’ ability to access the free market.
Delrahim said the NCAA’s transfer rules could also be in conflict with antitrust laws.
There already was momentum building among some college sports leaders to delay the vote on the NIL proposal, especially after the Supreme Court in December agreed to hear an antitrust case involving the NCAA later this year.