What started out as an effort by the father of Marvin Bagley III to show support for his son threatened last week to spin into a potential NCAA issue.
The father of Duke freshman forward Marvin Bagley III designed white long- and short-sleeved T-shirts with an image of his son’s screaming face and his distinctive hairstyle in royal blue printed on the front. Bagley’s father, Marvin Bagley Jr., gave some of the shirts to the Cameron Crazies before Duke’s win over Wake Forest on Jan. 13. Fans were seen wearing the T-shirts at the game.
But on Jan. 14, the elder Bagley alerted people in posts on Facebook and Twitter that those shirts had been copied and were being sold online. He warned consumers about buying the T-shirts from TeeChip Pro, a website “that allows its users to design and sell their own T-shirts and other merchandise.”
NCAA rules prohibit athletes or their families from making money off of their likeness. The NCAA can also punish athletes if someone else tries to make money off of their likeness without their knowledge, unless necessary steps are taken to prevent the sale.
According to the NCAA’s bylaws, “If a student-athlete’s name or picture appears on commercial items (e.g., T-shirts, sweatshirts, serving trays, playing cards, posters) or is used to promote a commercial product sold by an individual or agency without the student-athlete’s knowledge or permission, the student-athlete (or the institution acting on behalf of the student-athlete) is required to take steps to stop such an activity in order to retain his or her eligibility for intercollegiate athletics.”
