Haley and Hanna Cavinder, who play college basketball for the Miami Hurricanes, have hit back after the NCAA punished their team and coach for an NIL violation. The governing body for college sports issued its first ever sanction related to its name, image and likeness regulations.Prior to 2021, college athletes were not allowed to earn money from their name, image and likeness. The NCAA then updated their rules, and many, such as gymnast Olivia Dunne, have since benefited financially.But there are still regulations in this new NIL era, particularly around boosters, who are defined to be an individual or organisation promoting or providing a financial contribution to an institution’s athletic programme or student-athletes. In this situation, the University of Miami’s women’s basketball team coach Katie Meier received a three match ban for introducing the Cavinder twins to billionaire booster John Ruiz.
What sanctions did the Miami Hurricanes receive?
Alongside Meier’s suspension, which has already been served, the University of Miami’s women’s basketball team programme was put on a one-year probation, and given a reduced amount of official visits and recruiting days.
It also received a $5,000 (£4,157) fine, plus one percent of the women’s basketball budget.
The Cavinder twins were not punished, with the NCAA planning on not penalising athletes themselves for NIL infractions.
The NCAA had discovered the incident after Ruiz had posted a photo with the Cavinder twins outside his house on Twitter in April 2022, with the caption: “Wishing the Cavinder twins all the best in their quest to find their next home to play basketball.”
It was later discovered that Meier had facilitated the meeting between Ruiz and the Cavinder twins by text message.
How did the Cavinder twins respond to the NCAA sanction?
The Cavinder twins share a TikTok account, and have accumulated an astonishing 4.3 million followers.
They used the platform to air their frustration at the NCAA’s sanctions. The duo shared a screenshot of a news story about the situation, before filming themselves looking confused. The caption read: “dear NCAA, scared that female athletes have value? 🤥”
Both Haley and Hanna Cavinder are leading figures in college sports endorsements, signing NIL deals with several companies, including Boost Mobile, Crocs, Venmo and WWE. They also co-founded the clothing company Baseline Team.
Video: Watch Haley and Hanna Cavinder's response to NCAA sanction
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