Florida State must terminate NIL collective representative following NIL-related recruiting violations. (Rich Story/Getty Images)
Thirty months into the era of names, pictures and likenesses, the NCAA is finally dropping the hammer.
The association is imposing significant penalties on Florida State football, one of its NIL clubs and a sponsor, and an assistant coach for NIL-related recruiting violations, representing the most severe and unprecedented sanctions imposed in the first two and a half years of ZERO. Multiple sources with knowledge of the decision and penalties spoke to Yahoo Sports on condition of anonymity.
The broad and sweeping sanctions are related to a spring 2022 recruiting event and are part of a resolution negotiated between the school and the NCAA.
A Florida State assistant coach, offensive coordinator Alex Atkins, was found to have committed two Level II violations, including improper recruiting activities and facilitating improper contact with a NIL-related booster. Atkins allegedly drove a prospect and his parents to a meeting with a leading member of the school's NIL collective, Rising Spear.
According to the NCAA, during that meeting, the sponsor encouraged the prospect to enroll at Florida State and offered him an NIL opportunity with the collective worth approximately $15,000 per month during his first year at the school.
As part of the penalties, Atkins will be suspended for the first three games of the 2024 regular season and will receive a two-year show cause notice. At an exhibition event, schools that hire Atkins must explain their decision to NCAA officials. Atkins is expected to remain in his current position on the FSU staff.
For the first time in the NIL era, the school must part ways with the NIL collective representative for a three-year term. The school must also distance itself from the NIL collective for one year. As part of the dissociation, FSU cannot accept support from the Collective and the Collective cannot contribute to the athletic program in any way. However, the collective is free to continue working with FSU athletes on NIL efforts.
Other penalties confirmed by the NCAA on Thursday include:
– two years probation.
– Scholarship cuts of 5% over the next two academic years.
– a reduction in official recruitment visits by seven for the period 2023-24.
– a ban on recruiting communications staff for six weeks over the next two academic years, including this next week (January 12-18).
– a ban on communication with athletes in the transfer portal from April 15 to 21.
– a reduction of 18 assessment days this spring.
– a fine equal to 1% of the athletic department budget.
The NCAA's rules surrounding NIL are unclear. The association only has an interim NIL policy that provides guidance for programs – a policy that is constantly changing in this ever-evolving landscape of athlete compensation.
In fact, just this week the organization adopted new guidance around NIL, but these changes will not be applied retroactively. The organization also adopted new recommendations Thursday that will allow schools to better communicate with associations and facilitate business with enrolled athletes.
The NCAA sanctions are the latest topic to force FSU into the news cycle.
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The Seminoles became the first undefeated Power Five champion to be eliminated from the College Football Playoff last season, a move that sparked backlash from Florida politicians and legal challenges. Two weeks after the CFP's decision, FSU filed a lawsuit challenging the ACC's grant of rights as a major first step toward leaving the conference.
Meanwhile, the program's coach, Mike Norvell, is among a small group of coaches believed to be serious candidates for Alabama's coaching search following the surprise resignation of Nick Saban on Wednesday. How the NCAA's investigation of Florida State impacts Norvell's candidacy is unclear. It is not to be expected that he will have to face individual sanctions.
Florida state officials declined to comment when reached Thursday. NCAA officials also declined to comment at the NCAA convention in Phoenix. However, NCAA enforcement staff leaders addressed general NIL rule violations during a meeting Thursday morning after the convention.
Mark Hicks, the NCAA enforcement director for development, told a group of administrators that the association is focused on “manipulation and inducement” related to NIL and that they have evidence that recruiting rules are being violated. The NCAA has screenshots of text messages from incumbent head coaches that were sent directly to players on other college teams in an attempt to persuade them to transfer schools.
Coaches also use college players' high school coaches as intermediaries, Hicks said. College coaches send messages to high school coaches: “If you go to Johnny and ask him to get into the portal, we would be interested in him!”
Athletes do it too.
“There are student-athletes who are reaching out to coaches: 'I'm thinking about getting on the portal.' Would you be interested?'” Hicks said.
NCAA officials are learning about new ways universities are attracting athletes to their campuses, Hicks said, including offering a combination of cash, an apartment lease, a vehicle and transportation for family members to visit campus.
However, many college athletes were frustrated by the lack of cases of violations related to NIL violations. This is the second case of NIL-adjacent violations. Last spring, the NCAA imposed mostly minor sanctions on Miami related to a booster who hosted prospects at his home.
Additional cases are not being pursued due to a lack of evidence, as NCAA leaders have often cited.