Question about NCAA Policy

[Gregory Koch]

My understanding of the fickle NCAA rules for student-athletes is that if any athlete's image is used for commercial purposes, then that athlete is rendered ineligible. Normally, the NCAA will allow the school to get it removed, but then if it's not, then the athlete is ineligibized (see http://bensbiz.mlblogs.com/2012/01/17/what-goes-around-comes-around/ for an example of a cease-and desist letter). However, this process assumes that the business owner does not want the student athlete to be rendered ineligible. If I owned a business, I could run an ad saying "See Fab Lose" and feature Fab Melo's picture and a promotion for something I'm doing when we play 'Cuse. Naturally, Syracuse would send me a cease and desist letter, but if I ignore it and continue using the image, Fab is rendered permanently ineligible. And as long as they don't own the copyright to the image, they can't sue to have it removed. (and I'm sure there are a lot of open source images out there of some of Syracuse's stars - I can go to a game and take one myself if I can't find one). Or alternatively, find some image of Cuse player(s) with copyright/trademark owned by a UConn fan, and use that with permission. And there's nothing stopping me from rendering any student-athlete I want permanently ineligible. As long as I own a commercial business. Alas, I don't. But if the NCAA's going to be all technical about Boatright, it can work both ways....

 

[61cygni]

I think this only applies if the student athlete accepts payment for the usage of his/her name/likeness.

Furthermore:
12.5.2.1.2 Improper Use of Student-Athlete’s Name or Picture. If an institution, without the student-athlete’s knowledge or consent, uses or permits the use of the student-athlete’s name or picture in a manner contrary to Bylaw 12.5.2.1, the violation shall be considered an institutional violation; however, the student-athlete’s eligibility shall not be affected.

 

[Rico444]

Even if this were possible, would you really want to ruin a kid's career like that? I hope this is a joke.

 

[Gregory Koch]

Even if this were possible, would you really want to ruin a kid's career like that? I hope this is a joke.

It's a hypothetical question since the NCAA seems to like screwing over student-athletes and it would be terrible to see someone get screwed over in this way.