Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

Belmont University has announced inductees for the Class of 2021 Belmont Athletic Hall of Fame which include Jay Ayres (’08), Ian Clark (’13), Christy Csorna (’04), Kerron Johnson (’13), Cat Mundy (’09) and Derek Wiley (’09). Additionally, Jim and Laurie Seabury were unanimously selected as recipients of the Chaney Memorial Award, while the 2005-06 Belmont University men’s tennis team was chosen as Belmont’s latest Legendary Team.

Ayres ranks among the top men’s soccer players in Bruin history. He earned Atlantic Sun Conference Defender of the Year honors in 2006 and 2007, and is one of three players in program history to earn first team all-conference honors in successive seasons. The central defender became Belmont’s first player to sign a professional playing contract in Major League Soccer, playing with the San Jose Earthquakes.

Clark is one of the most successful Bruins athletes ever, both during his time at Belmont and after his college career. He was named an All-American and OVC Player of the Year in 2013 and is a two-time conference defensive player of the year. Clark also led Belmont to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2011-2013. Graduating as Belmont’s NCAA Division I career leader in points (1,920) and 3-point field goals (340), Clark was a candidate for the 2013 Naismith and Lou Henson National Player of the Year awards. After earning 2013 Vegas NBA Summer League Championship Game Most Valuable Player honors, Clark went on to enjoy six seasons in the association with four teams. Clark was a member of the 2017 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors.

Csorna is a four-time United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-South Region selection, and became Belmont’s second-ever qualifier to nationals. The Nashville native placed 12th in the 5,000 meters at the 2004 NCAA Championship, the second-best showing by an A-Sun Conference runner in league history. Part of three consecutive A-Sun Conference team championships, Csorna was named to the conference All-Decade Team in cross country and track & field and was part of two Belmont teams that led the nation in team grade-point average.

Johnson was one of the programs most successful and impactful point guards. Along with teammate Clark, Johnson led Belmont to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2011-2013, posting NCAA Division I era records for single-season victories (30), conference scoring margin (+20.9) and RPI (24, 2013). The Huntsville, Alabama native is among an exclusive list of players in college basketball history to earn conference tournament Most Valuable Player honors in two different leagues (A-Sun, 2012; OVC, 2013). His game-tying and game-winning shots in the 2013 OVC Championship victory over Murray State rank among the most recognizable player in program history. Johnson stands among Belmont leaders in points (1,388), assists (515), steals (206) and free throws made (511).

Mundy is the only player in A-Sun Conference history named all-tournament team three times, and was an integral part of Belmont’s NCAA Tournament volleyball teams in 2006 and 2008. Mundy ranks among Belmont and A-Sun career leaders in kills (1,321) and her 31 kills vs. Lipscomb in 2007 remains the program’s single-match record. The Dallas native went 91-38 during her time at Belmont and was named to the A-Sun All-Decade Team. The 2008 A-Sun Tournament Most Valuable Player was also a four-time academic all-conference selection.

Wiley was one of Belmont baseball’s successful hitters, paving the way for the Bruins’ transition from Greer Stadium and Shelby Park to Rose Park and into NCAA Tournament glory. After earning Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America honors in 2006, Wiley earned All-Atlantic Sun honors in 2007 and 2009. Wiley ranks among conference career leaders in home runs (58), runs batted in (212), total bases (498) and slugging percentage (.585). The only Belmont player with multiple three home run games, Wiley was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 2009 Major League Baseball Entry Draft.

The Hall of Fame and Chaney Award inductees will be honored at a dinner Thursday, Sept. 16 at 6 p.m. CST in the Maddox Grand Atrium of the Curb Event Center. Admission for the event is $25 per person. Fans can RSVP to reanna.rice@belmont.edu.

Curb Event Center. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Vision/Colby Crosby

A full week has passed since the new NIL policy was approved by the NCAA. With it, an ongoing wave of massive endorsement deals have been announced, begging a new question: Is amateurism in college athletics dead?

The idea of amateurism has been at the heart of college athletics for more than a century and has been the biggest argument against college-athletes being able to earn money. This ideology was rooted in the late 1800’s when most people playing college sports were in the wealthy upper-class and it was considered lowbrow to be paid for playing. Those young men came from affluence and played simply for the game. However, since then college-athletes have received little to no compensation for the money made from their performances.

Now, for the first time in nearly 100 years, student-athletes will be able to make money off of their own image, name, and likeness and we have already begun to see many athletes take advantage of this new opportunity.

The sound from around the NCAA has been mostly supportive as many athletic departments want to help and encourage their student-athletes to legally and safely enjoy the benefits of this new policy. In a statement from Middle Tennessee State University Athletic Director Chris Massaro, he voiced his support for their student-athletes and explained how the institution wants to help them grow with this new policy.

“Student-athletes all across the country can profit from name, image and likeness. We fully support all of our Blue Raiders in this endeavor. Our student-athletes are tremendous representatives of our university as they excel in the classroom, on the field and in the community. The student-athlete experience is constantly changing and we are committed to helping them understand, prepare and maximize the opportunity name, image and likeness offers,” says Massaro in the statement.

Belmont University Athletic Director Scott Corley also released a statement to the public, recognizing the NCAA’s decision and reiterating the university’s commitment to student-athletes and their college experience.

Official @GoBelmontBruins statement regarding name, image and likeness pic.twitter.com/hbJRQdz94s

— Belmont Athletics (@GoBelmontBruins) July 1, 2021

One of the most notable sponsorship deals announced since the new policy was enacted has been TSU basketball player Hercy Miller, son of rapper Master P, picking up a $2 million deal with Web Apps America. For a student-athlete who plays at an Ohio Valley Conference school, or any for that matter, that is quite an impressive sum of money. However, according to in article in the Tennessean, Miller has said that the money will be used to pay for gift bags for kids attending the Books and Ball camp he and his dad are set to host.

If this type of behavior of student-athletes giving to charities, fellow students, or even starting their own charities becomes a pattern, it will give more responsibility to the athletes and help them grow, as opposed to the idea that these athletes will just pocket the money for themselves.

Meanwhile, University of Miami quarterback D’Eriq King and Florida State quarterback McKenzie Milton have teamed up to start a business called Dreamfield with the goal of helping other student-athletes book live events, such as autograph signings and speaking engagements.

In some ways, these new NIL policies will allow students to make money while also forcing them to gain real-life work experiences. Many student-athletes dedicate nearly 90% of their time to academics and their sport, leaving them without much time for internships, summer jobs, or part-time jobs. These new policies open a door for them to explore business ventures in an environment where athletic departments and coaches will be able to help guide them in the right direction.

If college is supposed to help people get ready for the “real world” why not let them dabble in as much as they can? With any other platform, you are compensated for your pay and are not barred from pursuing other financial interests, which is something that the Supreme Court of the United States brought attention to in their ruling last month. Under the old policies, the NCAA was preventing athletes from making money off of the work they put in 365 days a year. On top of that, NIL doesn’t cost the NCAA a dime seeing as they don’t have to pay any athlete or deal with any contracts or Title IX issues. Under the new regulations, the student-athlete is able to decide how much they are worth.

So, to answer the question, is amateurism as we know it dead? In a way, yes. However, what we previously accepted as “amateurism” was dysfunctional, hypocritical, and already dead as soon as the average college football coach’s salary reached $2.7 million.

Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics / Daniel Dubois

The NCAA Division I Board has voted on and approved a policy that allows student-athletes to make money off of their name, image and likeness (NIL) beginning July 1.

In the past, student-athletes could be punished, suspended, or even have their awards and accolades taken away for profiting off of signing autographs or selling items that represent them and their names.

“This is an important day for college athletes since they all are now able to take advantage of name, image and likeness opportunities,” says NCAA President Mark Emmert in an official statement. “With the variety of state laws adopted across the country, we will continue to work with Congress to develop a solution that will provide clarity on a national level. The current environment — both legal and legislative — prevents us from providing a more permanent solution and the level of detail student-athletes deserve.”

Now that this is in effect, what does the new policy mean and what can student-athletes make a profit from?

The NCAA laid out guidelines for schools and student-athletes to adopt in order to ensure that student-athletes and schools don’t overstep this new policy or prevent student-athletes from exercising this new financial freedom.

Here are the guidelines the NCAA has provided for the interim policy:

• Individuals can engage in NIL activities that are consistent with the law of the state where the school is located. Colleges and universities may be a resource for state law questions.
• College athletes who attend a school in a state without an NIL law can engage in this type of activity without violating NCAA rules related to name, image and likeness.
• Individuals can use a professional services provider for NIL activities.
• Student-athletes should report NIL activities consistent with state law or school and conference requirements to their school.

The schools cannot pay the athletes, nor can a donor offer money or gifts to entice a recruit to come to their perspective school. That is still an illegal practice and can come at a high cost for schools and athletes alike. Rather. student-athletes can now charge for autographs, sign endorsement deals, and sponsor local or national companies. Essentially, the new policy states that schools cannot pay anyone, and the student-athlete must receive money for their success from a third-party.

“Today, NCAA members voted to allow college athletes to benefit from name, image and likeness opportunities, no matter where their school is located,” says Division I Board of Directors Chair Denise Trauth, president at Texas State. “With this interim solution in place, we will continue to work with Congress to adopt federal legislation to support student-athletes.”

All of this came after a historic, unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States that said that the NCAA could not put limits or caps on educational-related expenses for student-athletes, such as computers, internships and more. Interestingly, multiple states like Georgia and Florida had already passed laws that would make it legal for student-athletes to profit off of their names and image.

Since the announcement, some student-athletes have already began their sponsorship careers. Auburn University quarterback Bo Nix posted on his Instagram about his new sponsorship with Milo’s Sweet Tea. Additionally, Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz has announced that he was creating a trademark for his own personal brand prior to the NCAA Board’s official decision.

The new NIL policy is currently only an interim one with more changes to be expected as the NCAA continues down this new, uncharted path. Individual schools and conferences will also be allowed to create their own policies for their student-athletes.