Belmont’s Dylan Windler at the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Photo: Courtesy of the Belmont Vision/Carina Eudy.

The NCAA Division I Council has recommended that the DI Board adopt the controversial name, image and likeness (NIL) policy. This news comes just one week after the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled in-favor of former student-athletes in a lawsuit saying that the NCAA nor educational institutions could limit education-related benefits given to student-athletes, such as graduate scholarships, internships, or computers, and other equipment.

The Supreme Court unanimously agreed on this decision, with Justice Brett Kavanaugh and his peers sharing some strong words regarding the NCAA and their policies. “Nowhere else in America can businesses get away with agreeing not to pay their workers a fair market rate on the theory that their product is defined by not paying their workers a fair market rate,” says Kavanaugh. “And under ordinary principles of antitrust law, it is not evident why college sports should be any different. The NCAA is not above the law.”

NCAA President Mark Emmert responded to SCOTUS’ decision saying: “Even though the decision does not directly address name, image, and likeness, the NCAA remains committed to supporting NIL benefits for student-athletes. Additionally, we remain committed to working with Congress to chart a path forward, which is a point the Supreme Court expressly stated in its ruling.”

The NCAA is open to NIL activities to student-athletes, as they are trying to avoid “pay-for-play.” If the policy is adopted by the board, the temporary action would remain in place until federal legislation or new NCAA rules are adopted. The policy provides the following guidance to member schools, student-athletes, and their families:

• College athletes can engage in NIL activities that are consistent with the law of the state where the school is located. Colleges and universities are responsible for determining whether those activities are consistent with state law.
• Student-athletes who attend a school in a state without a NIL law can engage in this type of activity without violating NCAA rules related to name, image and likeness.
• College athletes 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 board will review the Council’s recommendation and any additional information on Wednesday, June 30. Governance committees in Divisions II and III are also expected to vote on the interim NIL policy by then, as well. If the NIL interim policy is approved, each individual school and conference may choose to adopt their own policies.

Photo: By Colby Crosby/Courtesy of the Belmont Vision

A new partnership between Belmont University and TicketSmarter make the ticket selling company the official ticket resale marketplace for Belmont Athletics.

With seats for over 125,000 live events and 48 million tickets for sale, TicketSmarter is a national ticket marketplace whose mission is to enable customers to experience the power and excitement of live events by creating valuable partnerships. As the official ticket resale marketplace, TicketSmarter will gain exclusive marketing and sponsorship rights for Belmont Athletics and give Bruins fans a safe, trusted platform to buy and sell tickets. Belmont Athletics joins a growing list of clients in the U.S. partnering with TicketSmarter, including Winthrop University Athletics and Furman University Athletics.

“We are excited to partner with Belmont University Athletics, as an extension of our strategy to develop strong, mutually beneficial relationships that provide Belmont fans with an enhanced ticketing experience,” says TicketSmarter CEO Jeff Goodman. “We look forward to developing our relationship with Belmont over the next several years.”

This past season, the Belmont women’s basketball team won its fifth conference tournament championship in six years in 2021 making its sixth NCAA Tournament since 2007. The Bruins went on to win its first ever NCAA Tournament game when it took out No. 5 Gonzaga 64-59. The men’s basketball team is coming off one of their best seasons ever going 26-4 in head coach Casey Alexander’s second year. The team failed to win the conference tournament and the postseason but will be returning five seniors to the team.

Vanderbilt Cross Country Coach Steve Keith. Photo: by Daniel Dubois/Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt cross country head coach Steve Keith has announced that he will be retiring after 15 years with the Commodores.

Keith, a Vanderbilt alum and cross country letter winner from 1977-81, led Vanderbilt to unprecedented success during his reign. A three-time South Region Coach of the Year, he guided the Commodores to their first back-to-back top-15 showings in the USTFCCCA’s prestigious Program of the Year rankings, the school’s first SEC cross country title and Vanderbilt’s first appearance at the NCAA Cross Country championships—which has now become a regular occurrence.

“I’m proud and honored to have been called ‘Coach’ at my alma mater these past 15 years and with the last 10 years as the director of the program,” says Keith. “It’s never easy saying goodbye, but I feel like the timing is good for me to take a step back from coaching and retire. I trust that I am leaving the program in a much stronger position than when I arrived which is really all you can ask for. My staff has been fantastic and all of our successes have come from a common objective focused on developing champions and leaders.”

Keith earned his first regional and SEC Coach of the Year award in 2011 when he led the women’s cross country program to its first SEC title. Five Commodores finished in the top nine and three captured All-SEC first team honors, while two earned spots on the second team. Vanderbilt also placed three runners on the SEC All-Freshmen team. The Commodores went on to finish second at the NCAA South Regional, earning the program’s first ever trip to the NCAA Championships. Vanderbilt placed sixth in the nation at the event as Alexa Rogers finished 39th and became the program’s first All-American.

“We appreciate Steve for his service to the cross country and track and field programs and to the athletics department and the university,” says Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and Athletic Director Candice Lee. “Under his direction, our teams reached new heights and he should take great pride in the impact that he had. He operated with the utmost integrity, and never wavered in his commitment to our student-athletes. We wish him all the best in his next chapter.”

Keith was instrumental in bringing the SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships to Vanderbilt for the first time in school history in 2017. He has overseen nearly all of the current indoor and outdoor track and field school record holders. His student-athletes have earned 14 track and field All-America honors and two cross country All-America honors in the past 10 years which were the first in program history.