Penn Athletics is currently “in talks to form” an NIL collective “in the coming years,” according to sources cited by McKeown & Carnathan of the DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN. One source noted a conversation in which a Penn men’s basketball coach told an athlete that “some players would be paid through a collective in the near future.” Another source claimed that “a collective has already been in use but that the measure is currently paused.” One of the sources said that the collective “would only be designed for select players within Penn’s athletic programs.” Multiple sources indicated that Penn “has begun introductory talks regarding a collective, with one specifying that Penn was awaiting approval from the Ivy League.” The Ivy League has “remained supportive of ‘legitimate NIL,’” which is defined as commercial opportunities between athletes and businesses for services such as advertisement or endorsement. Collectives, on the other hand, “typically involve” direct payment to players for their athletic participation. The conference has “long opposed such practices,” a policy that extends to its ban on athletic scholarships. The league also recently announced its “intention to opt out of the pending House v. NCAA settlement.” The formation of a collective would “signal a change in the Ivy League’s philosophy” at least at one member school. One source indicated that Penn’s efforts “were driven by alumni in an effort to retain top talent and maintain national competitiveness” (DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN, 4/17).
Report: Penn Athletics exploring NIL collective amid Ivy League resistance
