MONTGOMERY – The Alabama House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill that would allow college athletes to hire agents and receive payment for making appearances or letting companies use their likeness in advertisements.
Sponsored by Rep. Kyle South (R-Fayette), HB 404 would also establish the Alabama Collegiate Athletics Commission to oversee name, image and likeness (NIL) issues among colleges in the Yellowhammer State.
States including California and Florida have passed NIL bills in recent years, though they are currently in conflict with NCAA rules.
South acknowledged the current NCAA regulations barring athletes receiving compensation, saying on the floor that his bill “would not have an effect until NCAA passes bylaws providing for [athlete compensation].”
The legislation passed the lower chamber with a vote of 63-31 with five abstentions. Votes against the bill came from members of both major political parties.
Some opponents voiced concerns that the bill would effectively rid college athletes of their status as amateur players, while others felt that it would not be fair under the presumption that relatively few athletes would be in the position to profit off their NIL.
Examples of ways college players could receive compensation would be a video game company paying to use the likenesses of players in a college football game or an athletics apparel company paying a player to endorse a piece of sportswear.
Additionally, student-athletes with large social media followings – a frequent occurrence across many sports and both genders – would be able to generate revenue endorsing products or otherwise entering into contracts through that medium.
The NCAA, college sports’ governing body, moved in January to delay a vote on permitting college athletes to profit from their NIL, citing “a series of judicial, political and governmental enforcement events” that the body felt made it imprudent to go ahead with such a notable policy change.
The delay put on ice a movement that had been gaining speed, especially an announcement in April 2020 that appeared at the time to be paving the way towards allowing compensation of student-athletes by third parties.
South’s legislation would go into effect in July 2021 if it becomes law. It would require universities to provide financial training and life skills for their student-athletes.
Athletes, under the proposal, could not accept compensation from tobacco, alcohol or adult entertainment companies. Moreover, they could not do any business with companies that deal in marijuana or nicotine.
Schools would have the authority to reject NIL contracts between their athletes and companies they felt violated the ethical standards of their institution.
The bill heads to the Alabama Senate where its fate is uncertain.
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: henry@new-yhn.local or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.
