Indian Hills NIL Policy & Procedure

Indian Hills NIL Policy & Procedure

Indian Hills Community College (IHCC) Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Policy & Procedures

Overview
Indian Hills Community College and Warrior Athletics understands the legislation that permits student-athletes the ability to monetize their name, image, and likeness (NIL). In doing so, Indian Hills Community College and Warrior Athletics confirms its role in educating our student-athletes on the NJCAA rules and regulations surrounding permissible use of their NIL. The purpose of this policy is to ensure student-athletes are aware of NJCAA rules and regulations, as well as state and federal regulations regarding NIL to protect their athletics eligibility.

  • Student-athletes may receive compensation for the use of their name, image, or likeness in non-institutional activities.
  • When a student-athlete receives compensation for providing services, selling products, hosting events, accepting donations, monetizing media, or licensing rights to/for others tied to the student-athlete’s name, image or likeness, that is considered an NIL activity.   
  • Student-athletes may not receive compensation for athletics performance or participation or as an inducement for enrollment at an institution.
  • Indian Hills Community College encourages student-athletes to fully understand NIL before initiating and maintaining their brand identity and marketing platforms.
    • This includes NJCAA, NCAA, and NAIA NIL policy and procedures.

College Involvement

  • Indian Hills Community College will provide education and guidance to student-athletes in support of their non-institutional NIL activities through Opendorse. IHCC will not develop, operate, negotiate, or promote noninstitutional NIL activities for student-athletes.
    • Opendorse is the Official NIL Partner of Indian Hills Community College and Warrior Athletics.
    • Opendorse is the leading NIL marketplace and technology company that serves the full lifecycle of supporting student-athletes through educating, assessing, planning, sharing, creating, measuring, tracking, disclosing, regulating, listing, browsing, booking, and more and is the industry leader in NIL solutions helping student-athletes and their supporters understand, build, protect, and monetize their brand value.

NIL agreements

Student-athletes, using Indian Hills Community College Athletics’ NIL partner Opendorse, must maintain a current account on Opendorse and submit all NIL deals through their platform. All NIL agreements are made without the involvement of Indian Hills Community College. 

  • Student-athletes are required to disclose NIL agreements at least five (5) days prior to the execution of any NIL agreement through Opendorse. Payment for services can be received in the form of cash, gift cards, products, and more. Indian Hills Community College is not responsible for any tax liabilities or other costs any student-athlete incurs as a result of the choice to engage in NIL activities.
  • Student-athletes may secure representation, only for NIL and not for future professional athletic contract negotiations. A professional service provider representing a student-athlete for the purpose of securing compensation for the student-athletes NIL must be licensed as required by the State of Iowa. Upon request from the student-athlete, Indian Hills Community College may provide education on best practices for evaluating professional service providers.
  • Need-based financial aid could be impacted based on compensation from NIL activities. Examples of need-based financial aid include Pell Grants, work-study employment, and subsidized direct student loans. 

International Student-Athletes

To comply with F1 Visa requirements, international student-athletes should not enter into any agreement for name, image, or likeness without first communicating with the Athletic Director and/or the primary designated school official (PDSO)

Athletic and Athletics Related Activities not considered NIL activities:

Student-athletes may not promote or receive compensation for NIL activities while participating in athletic and athletics-related activities. Such activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Practice and competition (including the period required by the coach to report to the event until released by the sports program)
  • Organized team promotional activities
  • Recruiting activities (including student-hosting duties)
  • Media activities (including press conferences/interviews) coordinated by IHCC
  • Fundraising events
  • Community service events
  • Team-building events

Prohibited compensation arrangements associated with NIL include the following:

  • Compensation in exchange for a student-athlete’s athletic participation or performance at Indian Hills Community College (“pay-for-play”).
  • Compensation in exchange for a student-athlete’s decision to attend Indian Hills Community College
  • Compensation for work not performed.
  • Compensation or arrangement of such compensation from the College or College employees
    • Exception: Permissible for College employees to purchase a limited amount of NIL product created by student-athletes if outside the scope of their employment with the College.
  • Direct compensation from Indian Hills Community College Boosters.
  • Agreements that violate Federal, State, National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), or Indian Hills Community College rules, policies, laws, and regulations.
  • Agreements involving the following business types, products, or services that conflict with the College’s values or would in any manner disparage or reflect adversely on the College:
    • Tobacco/vaping companies
    • Alcohol/alcoholic beverage companies
    • Sellers or dispensaries of controlled substances
    • Adult entertainment businesses
    • Any vendors associated with athletic performance enhancing drugs
    • Firearms
    • Businesses engaged in gambling activities/sports wagering vendors.
  • Student-athletes may not promote an NIL deal during pre-game, in-game, and/or post-game of an Indian Hills Community College Athletic contest.
  • Compensation opportunities for the student-athlete’s name, image, or likeness should not conflict with academic activities, athletic competitions, official team activities, or Indian Hills-sponsored events.
  • The use of Indian Hills Community College facilities and grounds, including Athletics Department facilities, is subject to Indian Hills Community College policies and procedures, and may require payment for rental fees associated with such use.

College Marks, Logos, Uniforms, & Facilities Use
Student-athletes will communicate with the Athletic Director prior to using Indian Hills Community College intellectual property in NIL activities. Intellectual property includes, but is not limited to, the IHCC marks and logos; IHCC facilities; all aspects of uniforms, gear, and apparel; photos, videos, and highlights containing IHCC marks and logos. Exceptions to the policy include:

  • Marks or logos used by a third-party in NIL activities, provided the third-party is an existing Indian Hills Community College partner holding “use of marks” privileges.
  • Marks or logos used in social media avatars, provided a third-party unaffiliated with the college is also not featured.
  • Student-athlete competition photos used for individual autograph signings.
  • Marks or logos used for the promotion of student-athlete camps or clinics, provided a third-party unaffiliated with IHCC is also not featured.
  • Apparel produced through a College licensee that is pre-approved by Indian Hills Community College.
  • Student-athletes will only be allowed to use Indian Hills Community College facilities for NIL activities through an executed facility use agreement. Associated rental fees and waiver of liability agreements will be coordinated through the college’s Business Office.

NIL agreements conflicting with institutional values include any entity or individual that, in Indian Hills Community College’s reasonable and good faith judgment, negatively impacts or reflects adversely on Indian Hills Community College or Warrior Athletics, including, but not limited to, bringing about public disrepute, contempt, embarrassment, scandal, ridicule, or otherwise negatively impacting the reputation or the moral or ethical standards of Indian Hills Community College or Warrior Athletics. Failure to disclose participation in an impermissible NIL activity may result in penalties imposed by Indian Hills Community College, Warrior Athletics, and the National Junior College Athletic Association that could impact the student-athlete’s eligibility to participate in intercollegiate athletics.

NIL agreements must adhere to all relevant federal and state laws.

Indian Hills Community College reserves the right to adjust these procedures at any time based on institutional or NJCAA policy changes or changes in applicable laws, rules, or regulations.  The application of these procedures through the IHCC Name, Image, Likeness Policy in no way creates an employment relationship between the College and any student-athlete.

Changes will be communicated through the Indian Hills Community College Athletics Office. The application of this policy in no way creates an employment relationship between Indian Hills Community College and any student-athletes.