Bill seeking compensation rules for UH athletes gets hearing

State lawmakers will convene a hearing this afternoon at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to review legislation that sets out rights and establishes oversight for student-athletes’ compensation for their name, image and likeness.

Chaired by Rep. Andrew Takuya Garrett, the House Committee on Higher Education scheduled the hearing for 2:30 p.m. at Bachman Hall on the UH main campus in Mānoa Valley. Committee members will take testimony on House Bill 2384. It would require the university to adopt specific policies governing student-athlete financial agreements.

In written public testimony submitted before today’s hearing, UH coaches report that the lack of a robust name, image and likeness framework is already causing the university to lose prospective student-athletes to mainland rivals. They describe a rapidly changing landscape in which financial packages are now a primary factor in recruitment and retention.

In earlier testimony on the issue, Rainbow Warrior football head coach Timmy Chang described how players need to balance family and work with their training. He said name, image and likeness issues have raised the market value of some players. “One of my players … is worth $300,000 on the market right now,” he said.

Wahine Basketball Coach Laura Beeman said she supports Bill 2384.

“As we venture into a different era of collegiate athletics remaining transformative in nature does not need to change,” she said in written testimony. “At the University of Hawaii our athletics department will hold fast to the core values that shaping our student-athletes lives is and will always be the number one goal. Hawaii has always been different. It is time for the university to lead in the area where college sports can remain a positive and impactful influence on our student athletes and our community. Let people see and feel what aloha is and why Hawaii is a place to call home.”

UH Athletics Director Matt Elliott said that, since July 1, colleges have been permitted to use funding to provide additional scholarships and share revenue with student-athletes under a new national name, image and likeness framework.

These “opportunities are important to college sports because they recognize the real economic value that student-athletes create while preserving their ability to benefit from their own work and identity,” Elliott said. “UHM Athletics currently provides NIL opportunities in accordance with its primary objectives to create an outstanding student-athlete experience, recruit and retain elite student-athletes, and achieve competitive success at the top of the Mountain West and Big West conferences.”

The bill requires alignment with federal laws, Title IX regulations and National Collegiate Athletic Association rules.

While student-athletes across the nation already engage in these deals, this bill seeks to formalize the framework within the state university system. It includes provisions for transparency and accountability regarding how these agreements are administered.

The legislation also requires educational support for athletes entering into these contracts, offering a layer of protection against predatory practices.

If passed, the bill would appropriate state funding to manage the program. The act includes a sunset date of June 30, 2030.

Garrett will preside over the discussion. The public can view the proceedings via the House YouTube live stream.