Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia recently signed a bill into law that will allow schools in the state to directly compensate college athletes for their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights. This legislation, effective July 1, makes it illegal for the NCAA to penalize schools for compensating athletes in this way. This newfound freedom has the potential to bring significant changes to college sports not just in Virginia, but across the country.
Before this law was passed, schools were prohibited from signing NIL deals with their student-athletes, leading to the creation of NIL collectives. These collectives served as separate entities that paid players for their NIL rights. With the new law, schools in Virginia will now have the ability to directly sign athletes to NIL deals, eliminating the need for separate collectives.
The impact of this law could be substantial for college athletics in Virginia and beyond. Schools in Virginia will now have an advantage in recruiting student-athletes by offering them NIL compensation, something that schools in other states currently cannot do. This advantage may push the NCAA to expedite the timeline for changes to NIL rules nationwide.
While NCAA president Charlie Baker has proposed possible changes to allow all schools to pay athletes through NIL deals, these changes require a vote from Division I athletics members. With Virginia’s law now in effect, it is likely that these members will be more inclined to address the issue sooner rather than later. Until a decision is made on the national level, schools in Virginia will enjoy the benefits of offering NIL compensation to their student-athletes.
