Department of Education Guidance: NIL Payouts Must Adhere to Title IX

NIL Daily/Sports Illustrated  |  Jan 19, 2025

The official fact sheet that has recently been released by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights outlines that schools must follow standard Title IX practices when distributing NIL funds. This guideline is being presented to the public just two weeks before House v. NCAA settlement objections are due.

Title IX laws prevent any discrimination based on sex, especially in an educational setting. As student-athletes begin receiving payments from their universities, Title IX has extended its reach to include NIL deals among college athletes. Both male and female student-athletes are entitled to equal shares of NIL money, regardless of the donor.

Preventing any sort of inequality is one of the next steps that has come about due to the lawsuit placed against the NCAA.