The New Race By States To Remove NIL Restrictions On College Athletes

By September 1, 2020, four states (Florida, California, Colorado, and Nebraska) had created laws to allow college athletes the capacity to earn money from the use of their names, images, and likenesses (NIL). More than 30 other states were considering similar legislation at the time while the NCAA was dragging its feet, but promising legislative proposals to reform its prohibition on athletes exploiting their publicity rights. Many of those states have since established NIL laws and, on July 1, 2021, the NCAA finally removed its prohibition on college athletes monetizing their fame.