WASHINGTON – The BIG EAST Conference hosted a league-wide forum Monday to discuss student-athlete name, image and likeness (NIL) and the legislative proposals that will be considered for vote at the 2021 NCAA Convention in January. At the conclusion of the forum, Commissioner Val Ackerman announced that the BIG EAST is forming a working group to assist its member institutions as they prepare to operationalize the anticipated NIL framework. Men's basketball sophomore Malcolm Wilson and Senior Associate Athletics Director for Internal Operations Dan Trump were both announced as part of the working group.
 
BIG EAST NIL FORUM AND WORKING GROUP

• Ackerman, Co-Chair of the NCAA Federal and State Legislation Working Group and member of the DI Legislative Solutions Group, led the forum. 
• The participants, which included athletics directors, senior athletic administrators and head coaches, were joined by key NCAA staff members who have been instrumental in advancing the association's work related to NIL over the past 18 months.
• The forum provided BIG EAST participants with a description of the Legislative Solution Group's work to date, an overview of the current federal and state legislative landscape, and perspectives on how to effectively create a campus-wide NIL implementation plan.
• The working group will have at least one representative from each of the league's 11 institutions, as well as two student-athletes. 
• The working group roster will include athletic directors, SWAs, FARs, compliance administrators, coaches, external relations staff and marketing personnel.
• College sports leaders, including university presidents, conference commissioners, athletic directors and other campus administrators, are continuing to craft the NCAA's NIL guidelines, with a planned vote on the proposed legislation at the 2021 NCAA Convention in January and expected implementation at the start of the 2021-22 academic year.

 
ON THE RECORD
"The NCAA's anticipated liberalization of NIL rules represents a ground-breaking development for student-athletes, coaches, administrators and a wide range of commercial enterprises. We are committed to assisting our schools as they gear up to administer this complex new set of rules and maximize the benefits that will be made available to their student-athletes when the rules go into effect next year."  - BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman