Sportico's Daniel Libit: "@EDcivilrights drops long-awaited Title IX/NIL guidance, putting onus on schools to ensure college athlete pay–even from outside sources–is gender-equity complaint. Big development 2 weeks before House settlement objections due." (link) More from Libit: "In a nine-page 'fact sheet' released Thursday, OCR clarified that, under Title IX, NIL money paid to college athletes should be held to the same gender-equity standards as athletic scholarships. Specifically, it stated that the amounts paid to athletes through NIL deals should be considered part of a school's athletic financial assistance, just as grants-in-aid and cost-of-attendance funds are. ... OCR further stressed that even when NIL payments are made by third parties, such as booster clubs or collectives, schools remain responsible for ensuring that these funds do not create sex-based disparities." (link) Full memo from the Department of Education. (link)