NCAA enforcement staff visits Miami campus to discuss NIL deals with officials, John Ruiz
The NCAA visited the University of Miami campus last week to gather information about the topic of Name, Image and Likeness, better known as NIL, as it pertains to the Hurricanes, the Miami Herald has confirmed.
Miami attorney and prominent Hurricanes booster John Ruiz told the Herald on Tuesday that he spoke on Friday with “a gentleman and two females from the NCAA” in “a dialogue between numerous people” on campus in Coral Gables.
Ruiz told the Herald the meeting, first reported by SI.com, lasted more than an hour and that it was cordial and not accusatory.
“I was asked by the university to go discuss how I put my deals together,’’ Ruiz said. “It was big picture. I don’t think it was anything accusatory or anything like ‘I got you’ or ‘I’m going to get you.’ Nothing like that. I actually enjoyed it.’’
When asked if the NCAA had initiated an inquiry into UM’s NIL-related deals, Miami assistant athletic director for communications Camron Ghorbi released the following statement: “Like our peer institutions around the country, the University of Miami communicates with NCAA staff to ensure compliance with applicable NCAA regulations. Per NCAA rules, and in order to maintain the integrity of the review, the University cannot comment on specifics of the matter.’’
Ruiz, 55, told the Herald he has signed “about 115 athletes” to a combined NIL payroll of “somewhere around $7 million” for the year, with two-year deals being the lengthiest, to promote his companies LifeWallet and/or Cigarette Racing Team . The biggest deal: a two-year, $800,000 contract (“$400,000 a year,’’ Ruiz said) for Kansas State basketball transfer Nijel Pack to promote both companies.
Ruiz said he couldn’t give any specifics.
“I did agree that the content of what we discussed wouldn’t be discussed [publicly]. I can’t discuss anything in specifics.”
The new era of college sports began last July when Florida was one of several states to allow college athletes to accept sponsorships and earn money for their name, image and likeness.
In May, the NCAA’s Board of Directors updated their NIL guidelines and stressed that boosters and booster “collectives” are not allowed to induce recruits or pay for play. It said that the NCAA enforcement staff would be monitoring NIL deals to make sure they do not violate the rules.
The NCAA interview with Ruiz was clearly part of that initiative.
UM has been one of, if not the most, visible schools in having its student-athletes sign deals with various companies and people who represent companies. But none have been more high profile than Ruiz’s. He has all along been vocal about his dealings and his intent to help the athletes in a way that he insists has been above board and following every rule.
“I am never going to do anything that is going to break a rule,’’ he previously told the Herald. “We have 30 attorneys here. We provide contracts to UM, and we’re in contact with their compliance department.’’
Ruiz said Tuesday that “whoever decided to send a representative of the NCAA did a good job of it. They were very professional, very courteous. I voluntarily went because I wanted to speak about what my experiences have been and what I think is needed to make sure there is cohesiveness about the whole process and system, because at the end of the day the ones that suffer are the students if things aren’t created in such a way that the students can actually benefit from these NIL deals.
“In my opinion there are things that need to be done and I sure hope they take my opinions at least into consideration.”
It has been well publicized that the NCAA planned to initiate talks with schools about the NIL situation, which has ballooned nationwide.
“These guys at Miami that are going to play basketball there for $400,000, that’s in the newspaper,’’ Alabama football coach Nick Saban said in late May. “The guy tells you how he’s doing it. But the NCAA can’t enforce their rules because it’s not against the law, and that’s an issue, that’s a problem. And... I don’t know what we’re going to do about it.’’
Ruiz, who formerly called Saban’s words at a speaking event in Birmingham, Alabama, “a very, very poor display of judgement and character,’’ said he volunteered to the NCAA last week “to be included as part of or speak to any committee that would be involved in creating bylaws because I have field experience.
“At the end of the day my interest is what’s in the best interest of student-athletes.’’
This story was originally published June 14, 2022 at 6:14 PM.
