The NCAA was working on a general framework and guidelines for NIL deals that would apply uniformly across the landscape. Schools and businesses were waiting on that guidance so they could make their move.

And then the Supreme Court told the NCAA not to limit earnings in any way and that if they did, they'd be liable for treble damages (i.e. they would owe 3x in damages of whatever they prevented). Considering NIL appears to have already had payments in the hundreds of millions of dollars, that's a risk they couldn't take.

So the NCAA completely punted. No guidance, no limitations, nothing they could be held liable for. Left it up to the states and to the schools. So what's legal in one area might not be elsewhere. Different schools have different standards. It's a messy patchwork and it's quickly turned into a recruiting tool, more than compensating athletes.

And the NCAA is definitely not stepping in now. Not when they've seen how messy it is, how much money is involved and with that threat of treble damages hanging over their head.