Bartz Quoted by ‘Front Office Sports’ on NIL Rule

Washington Partner Philip Bartz was quoted Feb. 10 by Front Office Sports regarding a state law set to take effect in Florida on July 1, when that state would become the first to allow athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL). Although Congress eventually may pass federal legislation governing NIL, states currently can pass NIL bills of their own. Bartz, co-leader of BCLP’s Antitrust, Franchise & Consumer Law Group as well as a member of the Sports & Entertainment Disputes Group, said Florida schools could have a major recruiting advantage over programs in other states. “If the local pizza parlor says, ‘you get $100,000 if you come eat a pizza at our restaurant, and we can then publicize that’ … obviously that would be a big incentive for a player,” Bartz said. As an athlete, “assuming all things being equal, I’ll go to the University of Florida instead of Stanford, or wherever else.”