Cavinder Twins Headline NIL Roundtable at Capitol Hill on Tuesday
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and his office announced on Friday that they’ve got plans for an NIL roundtable in Washington D.C., which is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
According to a press release, this roundtable will focus on the, ““the urgent need for Congress to find consensus and pass bipartisan legislation to codify name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights for student-athletes.”
This roundtable stems from a draft that Senator Cruz circluated last summer which would ensure that collegeiate athletes are not employees. If passed, the bill would keep states from enforcing laws on compensation, employment status, athlete eligibility, and of course, name, image, and likeness.
According to the press release, some very noteworthy guests will be in attendance for this roundtable on Capitol Hill, including former Alabama head coach Nick Saban and NIL stars Haley Cavinder and Hanna Cavinder. Haley Cavinder is set to play for TCU this upcoming season and will be back in the spotlight as an active athlete after both sisters stepped away from sports after their time at Miami (FL).
The full list of guests for the roundtable is as follows:
- U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.)
- Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban
- ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips
- NIL stars Haley Cavinder and Hanna Cavinder
- Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne
- The Collective Association president Russell White
- NIL attorney Darren Heitner
It will be interesting to hear the Cavinders’ take on NIL considering they are among the most well-known athletes to have benefitted from the recent rule changes. According to Sportskeeda, the duo graduated from college with a combined NIL value of $1.7 million.
Another perspective that will have folks tuning in is that of former Alabama head coach Nick Saban. After his shocking retirement earlier this year, the legendary coach spoke about the role the NIL played in his exit from the sport he had such a profound impact on.
“I want to be clear that wasn’t the reason, but some of those events certainly contributed,” Saban told ESPN about the role of NIL in his retirement. “I was really disappointed in the way that the players acted after the game. You gotta win with class. You gotta lose with class. We had our opportunities to win the game and we didn’t do it, and then showing your ass and being frustrated and throwing helmets and doing that stuff … That’s not who we are and what we’ve promoted in our program.”
