By: Taylor Kauffman
Since the beginning of the NCAA’s existence, players have not been allowed to make money off their name, image, and/or likeness. For years, there have been conversations about changing that rule, but it never seemed to go anywhere; until last week.
“Yeah, it just happened suddenly and I think it’s taken everyone by surprise,” said The Basketball Movement Owner and Director Rob Yanders.
The lifting of the NCAA ban on name, image and likeness rules seemed to come out of nowhere last week.
“I got people clearing off their Instagrams, their Twitters, starting to give their social media a facelift,” Yanders said.
Rob Yanders owns a gym in Nixa — working closely with some of the best basketball players in the area — helping them train and get recruited for college; something that suddenly becomes more exciting with the new name, image and likeness rules.
“It’s on social media, it’s all over the place. ‘Coach Coach, what do you think about this coach, what are you thinking?’ I’m like, ‘calm down, get all the information,'” said Yanders.
As of now there aren’t any universal NIL rules, it’s up to individual states and schools to form those policies.
“I would say just read, listen, get all the information, talk to reliable sources, and then proceed for from there,” said Yanders.
Things are different for college athletes now compared to when Yanders played at Missouri State, but hopefully — with this rule change — it’ll be different in a good way; by not forcing some college athletes to choose between an education, or a paycheck.
“This can be the difference maker in guys prolonging their college career and sticking with it; getting better. They may have an opportunity to play at the highest level,” Yanders said.
There’s a lot we still don’t know, but Yanders has seen definite enthusiasm with his athletes during the process.
“I think they’re excited. I think that they’re starting to understand that they’re valuable in a lot of different ways using the sport to help them with that,” Yanders said.
