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Colleges and universities around the United States are still grappling with the newfound challenges that have arisen thanks to the arrival of the NIL Era, and Georgia has become the newest state to enact a law that seems poised to disrupt the landscape even more.
It’s been more than three years since the Supreme Court ruled against the NCAA in a landmark case that essentially forced the governing body to allow student-athletes to be compensated for the use of their name, image, and likeness—a monumental development that sent shockwaves through the world of college sports.
While most people agreed that development was a positive one in theory, it’s left a ton to be desired in practice thanks in no small part to the nature of NIL payments that serve as de facto contracts as players take advantage of the transfer portal in their quest to secure the biggest bag possible.
The amateurism that once defined college athletics has essentially become a thing of the past, and while we haven’t reached the point where schools are funneling cash directly into the bank accounts of their athletes, the rise of booster-based NIL collectives has created a previously unthinkable environment that’s increasingly mirrored that of professional sports leagues.
Earlier this year, Virginia became the first state to enact a law that gives schools the green light to treat student-athletes as independent contractors who can receive payments directly from the institution they’re enrolled in while preventing the NCAA from handing out any sanctions.
That was the first of what will likely be many dominoes to fall, as ESPN reports Georgia has followed in its footsteps now that Governor Brian Kemp signed a bill that gives schools in The Peach State permission to do the same (the outlet notes neither Georgia nor Georgia Tech have any imminent plans to take advantage of the new law).
It’s also worth noting these measures may end up being a moot point, as the NCAA is currently in the midst of negotiating a $2.78 billion antitrust settlement that would allow schools to engage in the practice while being forced to abide by a de facto salary cap that will tentatively be set at $20 million a year across all programs.
As a result, it seems like it’s only a matter of time until this new chapter officially begins.