Utah football was the first college program mentioned by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Tuesday as he explained his distaste for the direction of the NCAA’s name, image and likeness (NIL) rules.
Speaking during a Senate hearing, Graham cited the Utes’ recent decision to give 85 scholarship players Dodge Ram truck leases as another reason why he thinks NIL has lost its way.
“There needs to be a federal standard. Utah is offering everyone on the team a new truck. There is no end to this,” Graham said.
“You know, donors are out there competing ferociously,” he continued. “In pro sports, you sign a contract. That means nobody is going to take that player away from you for a certain period of time. You got a chance to get your money back. Between the [transfer] portal and NIL, college football is in absolute chaos. And we need to fix it. And national legislation is the only way to fix it.”
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah football players react at Rice Eccles Stadium after being given pickup trucks by the Crimson Collective name, image and likeness organization in Salt Lake City, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023.
Notably, Graham’s statement wasn’t entirely accurate. Utah players aren’t being given trucks; the program’s NIL collective will cover the cost of the lease and insurance while the players remain on the team.
According to the Utah Crimson Collective, the 85 scholarship players will be given a 2024 Ram Big Horn 1500 Truck. If a player transfers or leaves the team, the lease will end.
Still, Graham spent most of his time Tuesday — the 10th time Congress has held a hearing on college sports in the last three years — painting NIL as inherently chaotic.
“Where I come from, college football isn’t a sport, it’s a religion,” the South Carolina senator said. “And we’re very concerned with where this thing is going. There needs to be a national standard.”
Several college football leaders also spoke at the hearing, including NCAA president Charlie Baker and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick. Both called on Congress to work on federal NIL legislation.
