College sports, particularly college football, are changing rapidly as name, image and likeness (NIL) deals put some athletes in a financial class that once seemed reserved for professional players. While most college athletes make little or no money from NIL, a select group can earn hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars through sponsorships, collectives and other agreements.
The growing value of college athletes has also blurred the line between college and professional sports, raising questions about whether athletes who are compensated like professionals should face some of the same expectations and consequences.
If college athletes are increasingly earning professional-level money, who should have the authority to financially punish them when they violate rules — and should money earned through NIL change how we think about those consequences?
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Debate already exists
Debate over whether student-athletes should face financial punishment beyond school-imposed penalties resurfaced over the weekend after Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons earned an unsportsmanlike conduct call during their game against Tennessee. After sacking Tennessee’s quarterback, Simmons mimicked unzipping his zipper and urinating on the field.
Another instance this weekend involved University of Southern California linebacker Desman Stephens II, who was ejected from USC’s game against Oregon for targeting Oregon’s quarterback, Dante Moore.
Moore suffered a concussion and was carted off the field on a stretcher and loaded into a waiting ambulance.
Stephens appeared to celebrate immediately after the hit before being ejected for targeting. USC later announced it suspended Stephens for one game. Both the school and Stephens later apologized.
These recent actions, among others, have reignited arguments for financial penalties. Some say that since many athletes are being paid, they are treated like professional athletes and should face the same consequences.
For example, in the NFL, the league issues fines for unsportsmanlike conduct when celebrations are offensive, vulgar, or imitate alcohol consumption.
Others, however, argue fines are too complicated since college athletes with NIL deals make drastically different amounts. A $10,000 penalty, for example, would be a very different financial burden for a star athlete with millions coming in from NIL than for a smaller name who makes much less, or doesn’t have an NIL deal at all.
Others argue that it’s enough for schools and teams to punish their players as they see fit.
How punishing athletes works
Many universities and coaches already have policies in place to discipline athletes for certain misconduct. They’ve included language in scholarship agreements that allows them to impose financial penalties when an athlete missteps, both on and off the field of play.
Athletes are also punished within the game itself, often receiving penalties and sometimes ejections for dangerous plays and actions.
However, things get a little hairier at the NCAA level.
The NCAA can impose financial penalties, but those penalties generally apply to institutions and other parties responsible for NCAA violations rather than fining athletes for individual mistakes or plays during competition.
It can also impose nonfinancial punishments for specific actions, like targeting. Players can be ejected, suspended or lose eligibility for certain violations, but financial penalties can only apply to institutions and programs.
Outside the NCAA, individual conferences can have their own disciplinary authority. The Big Ten, for example, allows its commissioner to impose certain penalties on individuals for violations of its sportsmanship policy, including a fine of up to $10,000.
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