The NFL made an announcement at the Spring League Meeting on Tuesday about a new procurement initiative that intends to standardize how the league partners with underrepresented businesses.

This initiative, NFL Source, will attempt to increase its number of partnerships with businesses that are at least 51% owner and operated by a person in a number of demographics. These demographics include women, minorities, veterans, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and persons with disabilities.

“NFL Source provides the league with an opportunity to reinvest funds back into the communities that our clubs and offices reside in and gain exposure to an increased number of businesses,” said Jonathan Beane, senior vice president and chief diversity & inclusion officer at the NFL. “Doing business with the NFL can provide unparalleled exposure for businesses and boost local economic mobility.”

The NFL is reportedly attempting to widely deploy this initiative with suppliers in a number of fields that interface with the league office.

“We are ramping up our efforts to drive supplier diversity at the league office: IT, marketing, content, it goes on and on, every business unit is going to be looking for specific opportunities and whenever a contract comes up, it’s a natural [contracting] process which has slated diverse vendors,” Beane said.

According to CNN, NFL Source will be mandatory for teams that host major events, such as the Super Bowl and the NFL Draft, and their organizing committees. However, it will be optional for other contracts at the team level.

“We are not going to force every club [team] to participate in this,” Beane said. “Just because a club does not opt-in doesn’t mean they’re still not working on diversifying their vendors, but with this, what we’re hoping is to get as many clubs as possible engaged into this program.”

The NFL has struggled to address diversity and racial inequality in the past

The NFL has struggled with these types of initiatives historically, but has been making more of an effort over the past decade. Could NFL Source be a positive force to the league that sticks around in the future?

The league has a checkered history with diversity and racial inequality, especially for a league that is roughly 70% people of color.

Colin Kaepernick brought the topic into the limelight during the 2016 NFL season when he began kneeling during the national anthem to protest ongoing police brutality in the U.S. The league recognized the country’s racial reckoning in 2020 by allowing players to wear helmets, cleats, and shorts with phrases like “No Justice, No Peace” and “Black Lives Matter.” All endzones were painted with the phrase “End Racism” during the season. The league also pledged $250 million over 10 years to help fight systemic racism.

The NFL adopted the Rooney Rule in 2003, which is named after the long-time Steelers owner Dan Rooney. This rule requires every team to interview external minority and/or female candidates for vacancies at head coach, general manager, and various executive positions. This rule has been somewhat effective, but has also been the cause of negative headlines in the past.

Most recently in 2022 when current Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores filed a civil suit against the NFL alleging racial discrimination in the league’s hiring practices despite the Rooney rule.

Beane understands that the NFL Source may receive backlash from some fans and others in the league, but he and the league remain committed to their diversity and inclusion goals.

“For us, we know that everything we do is not going to make every single fan happy,” Beane said. “But also, we feel very strongly that we have to continue this path because it falls within the true values and culture of the National Football League.”