Kentucky administration jumps into shift away from NCAA for policing athlete compensation

Power conferences are looking to take control away from the NCAA in the new era of professional sports in college athletics — and Kentucky is apparently involved.

According to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports, the NCAA will continue to police matters around eligibility and academics. A new entity, though, will lead the charge on the oversight, management and enforcement of player compensation, policing violators of the new salary cap and revenue-sharing rules and penalties for those who choose to break them.

The transition team reportedly features two athletic directors from each of the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12 conferences — the power leagues involved in the implementation of the revenue-sharing policy set to begin July 1. Eight schools are named: Ohio State and Washington in the Big Ten, Arizona and Cincinnati in the Big 12, Clemson and Georgia Tech in the ACC and Texas A&M and Kentucky in the SEC.

Though not directly named, that means UK AD Mitch Barnhart is potentially involved in this landscape-altering move.

This group will push for a three-step approach to enforcement that includes cap management, an NIL clearinghouse and an investigative and infractions unit. The software company that helps manage the NBA’s player contracts and salary cap, LBi and Deloitte, will also operate the NIL clearinghouse to help determine fair market value on NIL deals.

Teams found guilty of tampering or exceeding the salary cap will receive penalties that include fines, revenue-share pool reductions and coach/administrator suspensions. Athletes whose outside NIL deals are found to be outside fair market value will be ruled ineligible.

It’s all complicated and clarity will come as details are finalized in the coming months, but guardrails to help get a handle of the Wild Wild West as we see it today are certainly welcomed.

Even more interesting that Mitch Barnhart is potentially involved to make it happen.