Paul Finebaum weighs in on SEC’s plan to send high-profile members to Congress

Name, Image, Likeness legislation was one of the most popular topics for SEC spring meetings last week, as various coaches and decision-makers from the conference seek nationwide uniformity regarding NIL rules and regulations.

Next week the SEC will take matters into their own hands, as some high-profile members of the conference will head to Washington DC in an attempt to lobby for some changes in the NIL space.

ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum spoke with Matt Barrie on ‘SportsCenter’ this week about the SEC’s decision to visit the country’s capital, and did not hold back his thoughts.

“I learned that there is the same conversation going on today that was going on last year and the year before, they don’t have a solution. So what is the SEC going to do? They’re going to Washington next week,” Finebaum said. “The commissioner, the president, Nick Saban, coaches, and they’re going try to influence Congress.”

The NCAA reversed its longtime stance on athletes being able to profit from their own name, image, and likeness in 2021, but they did so with little guidance, as athletic departments and student-athletes only responsibility regarding NIL is to adhere to the laws within their own state.

Each state across the nation has their own individual NIL legislation, which often differs from state to state. And with NIL becoming such a major part of recruiting, differences in rules from one state to another could make an impact on a team’s ability to recruit and maintain players going forward.

Nationwide NIL legislation would be major for the college athletics landscape across all conferees, but will the SEC be able to do so? Finebaum is pessimistic.

“Matt, go up and down the news channel, that is not going to happen,” Finebaum said. “But they feel like bringing the heavy guns of the conference talking to senators and congressmen maybe someone will listen. But with the presidential election a year ago, as if anyone needed me to say that, it won’t happen.”

There’s no question that there are various national and global matters that the United States government has to adhere to at the moment. And while name, image, and likeness in college sports may not be their top priority, maybe the SEC’s finest will be able to promote, stimulate, and help trigger some change to one of college athletics’ biggest conundrums yet.