Mit Winter Featured in Article Discussing College Athlete NIL Deals

Mit Winter Featured in Article Discussing College Athlete NIL Deals

It’s been over a month since college athletes have been able to enter into deals that allow them to be compensated for the use of the name, image, and likeness (NIL).  Kennyhertz Perry attorney Mit Winter was featured in an article by On3, the premier college sports and recruiting digital media company, discussing some of the more creative deals that athletes have entered into, including a deal that will provide all of BYU’s football walk-ons with full tuition payments.

One important note from an innovative corner of the NIL space: Built Brands, a Utah-based manufacturer and distributor of protein and energy products, has a multiyear agreement that includes compensation for all 123 BYU football players. For 36 walk-ons, the compensation will cover the cost of tuition for the academic year.

The deal is sound, Kansas City-based college sports law attorney Mit Winter said, as long as the walk-ons actually are performing a service on behalf of the company. They will: All players will wear Built branding on practice helmets. Walk-ons will also engage in social media promotions for the company.

“People are getting creative,” Winter said. “Now they have 36 extra scholarships.”

Mit was also quoted on the University of Louisville’s decision to bar its athletes from entering into deals with Barstool Sports.

Louisville is “advising” all its athletes to cease involvement in Barstool Sports because the school says it does not comply with school policy or criteria outlined in the Kentucky Governor’s Executive Order. Penn National Gaming, which owns and operates casinos, purchased 36 percent of Barstool last year. Winter expects other schools to follow Louisville’s lead because ”it’s a gray area whether Barstool is a gambling company or not, so it’s easier for the schools just to say, ‘You can’t do deals with Barstool’ and just kind of eliminate the problem.”

The entire On3 article can be read at the following link: https://www.on3.com/news/deriq-king-nil-deal-florida-panthers-not-a-one-off/

More About Kennyhertz Perry’s Collegiate Sports Practice Group

The need for an attorney experienced in collegiate athletics has never been higher.  From assistance with compliance, eligibility, scholarship, and transfer issues, to advice and representation relating to the newly emerging name, image, and likeness laws and legislation, universities, conferences, coaches, and college athletes often need an attorney to advocate on their behalf and to assist and advise on these types of issues.

The team at Kennyhertz Perry is uniquely suited to guide universities and college athletes through all of these types of issues with respect to the multitude of rules and laws set forth by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the National Federation of High School Athletic Associations (NFHSAA).

The attorneys at Kennyhertz Perry all have years of experience advocating for clients in high stakes matters and advising them on related issues.  In addition, and most importantly, attorney Mit Winter is a former Division I scholarship basketball player with extensive experience working on collegiate athletics legal matters.  Mit has first-hand experience in understanding the pressures and demands faced by college athletes both on and off the field, and has represented a number of sports-related clients in his practice, including the Big 12 Conference, Conference USA, and the NCAA.

Mit is widely regarded as an expert in collegiate sports law and frequently writes on these legal issues.  He is also the founder and chairman of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association’s Sports and Entertainment Law Committee and serves as a Regional Captain in the states of Kansas and Missouri for the Sports Lawyers Association’s (“SLA”) Outreach Committee.

Kennyhertz Perry’s college sports practice provides representation to those who are seeking an attorney with expertise to advise them on the myriad legal and compliance concerns prevalent in college athletics today.  To learn more about the firm, visit kennyhertzperry.com.

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