N8 Name, Image, and Likeness

Responsibility for Maintenance: Athletics; Enrollment Management

1. Reason for Policy

Onondaga Community College will ensure that its student-athletes follow and remain compliant with all National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) regulations, specifically those related to Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). 

2. Reason for Policy

OCC student-athletes must follow and remain compliant with National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Bylaws, Article V. Section 4. B3 titled “Name, Image & Likeness” regulations, as well as New York State Education Law Article 129-A Section 6438-C, specifically, the “New York Collegiate Athletic Participation Compensation Act.”

3. Applicability of the Policy

OCC will not prevent or limit a student-athlete’s ability to enter an agreement for compensation utilizing their NIL, so long as the agreement does not conflict with existing institutional partnerships, sponsorships, or agreements. 

More specifically, and accordance with NYS regulations, such an agreement:

• Must not cause students to violate OCC team contracts.

• Must not cause students to violate the OCC student handbook and code of conduct.

• Must not be reasonably judged to cause OCC financial loss, or reputational damage to the College.

• Must not cause actions during student-athlete’s scheduled OCC classes or team activities.

• The proposed agreement must not use the OCC’s name, brand, copy-written materials, trademarks, service marks, symbols, nicknames, trade dress, insignia, mascot, uniform styles, colors, imagery, campus landmarks, or any other institutional intellectual property.

• The proposed agreement must not require a student to display a product, logo, brand, or other indicia any time during an official OCC team activity.

OCC student-athletes must disclose to the Director of Athletics any potential NIL agreements before executing such agreements. OCC student-athletes have the right to legal or professional representation when dealing with NIL issues, questions, concerns, or potential agreements. OCC will not provide a prospective student-athlete with compensation in relation to that student-athlete’s name, image, or likeness.

4. Definitions

Student-athlete is defined as a student enrolled at Onondaga Community College and who participates in intercollegiate athletics. This policy does not apply to prospective student-athletes or students not yet enrolled at the College. 

5. Contacts

Approved by the Board of Trustees June 25, 2024