• Loading stock data...
Friday, May 23, 2025

WVU Coach Bans TikTok Dancing, Raising Questions About Employee Status

The move raises questions about how much control coaches can exercise over their players.

Feb 19, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head football coach Rich Rodriguez speaks to the crowd during a timeout during the first half against the Cincinnati Bearcats at WVU Coliseum.
Ben Queen-Imagn Images

West Virginia football coach Rich Rodriguez has implemented a new rule for his players–but it has nothing to do with curfews, nutrition, or training.

Players are no longer allowed to participate in the viral TikTok dancing trend, Rodriguez said Monday. Players are still allowed to use the app, but “I’m just banning them from dancing on it,” he said. 

“It’s like, look, we try to have a hard edge or whatever, and you’re in there in your tights dancing on TikTok ain’t quite the image of our program that I want,” Rodriguez told reporters. The Mountaineers hired Rodriguez in December after the team went 6-7 last year, ranking ninth in the Big 12.

The move raises questions about how much control coaches may legally exercise over their players, given that U.S. labor laws examine how much “control” an employer has over a person as an indicator of employee status, two attorneys tell Front Office Sports. Over the past five years or so, the NCAA has spent millions of dollars in court and lobbying Congress trying to prevent athletes from obtaining employee status.

Rodriguez is the first known coach to ban a specific activity on TikTok, but he’s hardly the first to impose social media restrictions on players. Schools nationwide have included various rules about what players can post on social media in their student-athlete handbooks. 

But the restrictions have become less common—and less enforceable—since the NIL (name, image, and likeness) era began, given that social media has become a major revenue stream for players. The regulations have also been used as evidence in trials to argue that athletes are treated as employees of their universities.

“We are in an era where athlete personal branding has tremendous value, and restricting certain social media activities could negatively impact players’ marketability and earnings,” prominent NIL attorney Darren Heitner tells Front Office Sports. “I believe this goes beyond the establishment of reasonable team rules and further assists those claiming that there is so much control over athletes, assisting their efforts to label them as employees.” 

Sports attorney Mit Winter agrees, telling FOS it “shows the control that schools are exercising over athletes, which lends itself to the employment arguments.”

Rodriguez appeared confident that the new regulation was within the bounds of his jurisdiction as a college football coach.

“I can have rules,” he said. “Twenty years from now, if they want to be sitting in their pajamas in the basement eating Cheetos and watching TikTok or whatever the hell, they can go at it, smoking cannabis, whatever. Knock yourself out.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Disney
breaking

Disney Sues YouTube for Poaching Exec With Deep ESPN Ties

Disney objects to Justin Connolly’s sudden move to YouTube.

New CFP Seeding Rewards Rankings, Not Titles—Except on the Paycheck

Last season, only conference champions could earn first-round byes.

Featured Today

AA Mint Cards

Young Collectors Are on a High-Stakes Chase for Ultra-Rare Trading Cards

“They just want that excitement of the chase,” says a 23-year-old collector.
Donnie Gobourne JDL
May 17, 2025

U.S. Professional Softball Players Are Flocking to Japan to Get Paid

The Diamond League offers paychecks and amenities that the U.S. can’t beat.
Jun 1996; Seattle, WA USA; FILE PHOTO; Seattle Supersonics guard Gary Payton (20) lays the ball up against the Chicago Bulls during the 1996 NBA Finals at Key Arena.
May 15, 2025

5,000 Pieces of Thunder History Are Hidden in Seattle

Sonics championship banners, trophies, and retired jerseys are all in one place.
Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs (2) returns an interception during the second half of the Cotton Bowl Classic College Football Playoff semifinal game against the Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 10, 2025. Ohio State won 28-14.
May 15, 2025

House v. NCAA Settlement to Pay College Athletes: All Your Questions Answered

The yearslong lawsuit over player compensation is in the home stretch.

The Highest-Paid NFL Offensive Coordinators

Todd Monken of the Ravens and Mike Kafka of the Giants both earn an estimated $3 million annually. 
Oct 28, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich talks with guard Chris Paul (3) during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Frost Bank Center.
May 2, 2025

Gregg Popovich Steps Down as Coach of Spurs, Will Still Be President

Popovich was the longest-tenured coach in North American sports.
Dec 27, 2024; San Diego, CA, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Fran Brown raises the Holiday Bowl trophy after defeating the Washington State Cougars after the game at Snapdragon Stadium.
exclusive
May 5, 2025

Why Syracuse Football Coach Fran Brown Is Signing With an NIL Agency

“There’s no better time to do it than right now,” Brown says.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 6 of Portfolio Players, dive into the world of sports investment with George Pyne, founder and CEO of Bruin Capital. Discover why owning a sports team is considered recession-proof, how leagues like MLB and UFC have adapted to the new media landscape, & the complexities of NIL.
Grizzlies Coach
April 14, 2025

The NBA Coaching Carousel Is Running Off-Schedule

One coach and one head of basketball operations were fired Monday.
Steve Kerr
April 9, 2025

Steve Kerr: ‘Billionaires’ to Blame for Run of NBA Coach Firings

The Warriors coach weighed in on the stunning Mike Malone firing.
Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden reacts against the Auburn Tigers during the second half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at Alamodome.
April 7, 2025

Kelvin Sampson Easily Tops Todd Golden in Contract Bonuses

Sampson has the chance to earn $1 million in bonuses with a win Monday.
Oct 16, 2024; Harrison, NJ, USA; Tigres Femenil forward Jenni Hermoso (10) dribbles as NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Cecelia Kizer (24) and NJ/NY Gotham FC midfielder Yazmeen Ryan (18) defend during the second half at Red Bull Arena.
February 20, 2025

Luis Rubiales Convicted but Avoids Prison Time for World Cup Kiss

He was convicted of sexual assault but won’t go to prison.