Tommy Tuberville, the college football coach turned U.S. senator, is spearheading the latest congressional movement to regulate name, image and likeness (NIL).
In an interview this week, the 67-year-old Republican senator from Alabama announced his intent to draft a bipartisan NIL bill with fellow senator Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat from West Virginia. In a letter to be sent this week to stakeholders within college sports, the two senators are seeking feedback on NIL, an unregulated issue that college officials say has created a chaotic landscape in the industry.
A former coach at four schools, including SEC programs Auburn and Ole Miss, Tuberville describes the NIL situation in college sports as a “mess” and a “free-for-all.