Third District Judge Amber Mettler sided with five public universities in Utah, allowing them to keep college athletes’ Name, Image and Likeness contracts private. The ruling follows a challenge by the University of Utah, Utah State, Weber State, Utah Valley and Southern Utah universities against a State Records Committee decision that initially ordered the release of these contracts.
The lawsuit arose when several Utah public universities, including SUU, opposed a State Records Committee decision to release NIL contracts under Utah’s Government Records Access and Management Act. The universities challenged this order, arguing that releasing these contracts would put them at a competitive disadvantage compared to schools in states that didn’t have such transparency requirements.
Mettler upheld a new Utah law, passed in March 2024, that shields NIL agreements from public records requests under the state’s Government Records Access and Management Act. The law was introduced to protect the privacy of college athletes. However, Mettler ruled that it applies to all NIL agreements, even those created before its May 2024 enactment.
“The court’s ruling, unfortunately, guts the rights of journalists to rely on GRAMA to inform the public on issues of public concern,” said Deseret News attorney Jeff Hunt. “Including whether Utah’s public universities are reviewing NIL agreements for compliance with the law and NCAA eligibility requirements.”
Utah law mandates athletes to submit contracts valued over $600 to their universities for compliance checks, but it prohibits the public release of these documents. Despite concerns over transparency, lawmakers argued the law was necessary to ensure Utah’s competitiveness in recruiting.
This ruling affects SUU’s standing within the collegiate sports landscape. Universities offering better NIL privacy protections might be more attractive to top-tier athletes. This could increase school spirit, university visibility, and availability of resources to student programs through increased media attention and sporting success.
Gov. Spencer Cox, who signed the bill, previously stated, “We’re at a big competitive disadvantage if other states aren’t required to release the terms of those contracts.”
Author: Amanda Flowers
Photo courtesy of SUU
Editor: Anna Mower
news@suunews.net
