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he NCAA board of directors has announced the suspension of the rules prohibiting athletes from selling the rights of their name, image, and likeness (NIL) to brands.

The ground-breaking decision will see all NCAA student-athletes now able to earn money through the form of brand endorsements, social media, and various other means.

The decision comes after lengthy debates and court cases across the US which resulted in a number of states in the US introducing legislation making it illegal for NCAA schools to enforce the NCAA’s pre-existing rules on athletes earning money.

NCAA president, Mark Emmert, said in a statement NCAA rules preventing schools from directly paying athletes will remain in place and all schools should refer to state laws for NIL issues or work to create their own policies.

“This is an important day for college athletes since they all are now able to take advantage of name, image and likeness opportunities,” Emmert said.

“With the variety of state laws adopted across the country, we will continue to work with Congress to develop a solution that will provide clarity on a national level.

“The current environment, both legal and legislative, prevents us from providing a more permanent solution and the level of detail student-athletes deserve,” he said.

This latest development comes just a week after a US supreme court ruled the NCAA cannot restrict the education-related benefits offered by colleges to student-athletes.

In the ruling, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, said: “The NCAA’s business model would be flatly illegal in almost any other industry in America.”

“Price-fixing labour is price fixing labour,” Kavanaugh said.

As part of the new announcement, athletes will also be permitted to sign with agents or other representatives for assistance with professional development or brand endorsements.

This, in the past, would have resulted in an athlete being labelled ineligible for NCAA competitions and would have instantly transferred the athlete to a professional athlete opposed to a student-athlete.