Effective July 1, 2021, NCAA rules and Illinois state law permit student-athletes the opportunity to benefit from their name, image and likeness (NIL). Student-athletes may engage in all of the following NIL activities:
- Receive compensation from a business to use the student-athlete’s NIL to promote their product or service;
- Use their own NIL to promote their own business or to promote a business that employs the student-athlete;
- Receive compensation to sign autographs or appear at a business or private event; and/or
- Utilize an agent to assist with any NIL activities, provided the student-athlete has a written agreement with the agent that is specific to NIL activities and not for sport-related representation.
Student-athletes must disclose NIL activities to the Knox College Compliance Office prior to signing a contract. The student-athlete must complete the
Knox College Student-Athlete NIL Disclosure Form before entering into an agreement for NIL activities*. In accordance with
Illinois State Law, if an NIL agreement is valued at $500 or more, a copy of the agreement must be submitted to the student-athlete’s institution.
*Please note that international students are subject to different compensation laws based on their visa status. They should consult with the compliance office before entering into any NIL agreement.
Student-athletes and prospective student-athletes may not use Knox College logos, trademarks or apparel as part of any NIL agreements unless granted permission by the College. Knox College and its staff will not be involved in arranging NIL transactions for student-athletes. Knox College will not provide contact information for student-athletes to various entities regarding NIL. Request for the use of Knox College logos, trademarks, and apparel is located in the
Knox College Student-Athlete NIL Disclosure Form.
Student-athletes and prospective student-athletes may not use Midwest Conference, St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletics Conference, NCAA, or any other trademarks or logos without permission. It is the sole responsibility of the student-athlete to gain permission to use these marks/logos. To request permission for use of the Midwest Conference logo, click
here.
Student-athletes and prospective student-athletes may enter into contracts with boosters in accordance with NCAA rules. The NIL contract/agreement may not be an impermissible recruiting inducement and cannot constitute pay-for-play. Knox College athletes and prospective-student-athletes may not receive compensation that is over and above typical compensation for a similar activity.
NCAA rules and Illinois state law have several parameters governing these new NIL opportunities. The following resources provide valuable information to help our student-athletes understand these parameters:
NCAA NIL Resources (https://www.ncaa.org/about/taking-action)
Illinois State SB 2338/Public Act 102-0042
Knox College Student-Athlete NIL Disclosure Form
Midwest Conference NIL Information
It is highly recommended that student-athletes take a financial literacy course before entering into any NIL agreements. Student-athletes with questions regarding NIL revenue on need-based financial aid are encouraged to reach out to the
student financial services office.
www.igrad.com provides several modules in financial literacy for student-athletes.
