Representative Tesher presented House Bill 449 on Feb. 18 as a follow-up to last year’s name, image and likeness (NIL) changes. The bill would allow Utah institutions to provide direct compensation to student athletes under a revenue-sharing model tied to a settlement in House v. NCAA that had preliminary approval in October.

Jason Grieco, senior associate athletic director for compliance at the University of Utah, told the committee the settlement would permit institutions to compensate athletes directly through a revenue-sharing model that some witnesses said could be capped at about $20.5 million per year for participating programs. Grieco said institutions need statutory authority to implement such a model and remain competitive with other states if the settlement is approved.

Representative Peterson asked whether direct university payments would raise Title IX concerns about equal access and fairness. Grieco and Tesher said federal guidance on Title IX and these payments is in flux: a prior administration issued guidance that was later revoked, and the federal Office for Civil Rights had issued interpretive guidance in mid-January that raised potential Title IX questions about revenue sharing.

The committee adopted a first substitute and then voted to favorably recommend HB 449 as substituted. Representative Walter and Representative Peterson recorded votes against the committee recommendation; the motion otherwise passed. The bill now moves forward with a favorable recommendation and with committee members saying institutions and compliance staff will need to align with any court or NCAA directives as the settlement develops.