WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Michigan standout Isaiah Livers, who is out with a foot injury, wore a shirt with #NotNCAAProperty written on it during the top-seeded Wolverines’ NCAA tournament opener against Texas Southern on Saturday.
The hashtag is part of a social media effort to raise awareness about inequities in college sports.
Livers is one of a few prominent Big Ten players leading the movement. Players have pushed for the NCAA to change rules preventing college athletes from earning money for things like endorsements, sponsorship deals and personal appearances.
The National College Players Association released a statement Wednesday detailing the players’ goals, which include getting the NCAA to change rules to allow athletes to receive pay for use of name, image and likeness. The players also are seeking meetings with NCAA president Mark Emmert and state and federal lawmakers.
The NCAA has been working toward changing its rules governing NIL compensation, although the NCAA in January delayed a vote on NIL legislation after receiving a letter from the Department of Justice that warned the proposed rule changes might violate antitrust law.
Emmert said recently he still hopes the NCAA will have uniform national NIL rules in place before the start of football season.