SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Gov. JB Pritzker signed a plan into law Friday to make major changes for the state's name, image and likeness law for college athletes.
FILE - University of Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman speaks alongside Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) during a House Higher Education hearing in Springfield on April 16, 2024.
The new law will allow athletes to earn NIL compensation directly from their universities. Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) told WAND News in April that this will give universities a significant advantage for recruiting and retaining players.
This plan also blocks media and the public from requesting how much athletes make from their private NIL deals.
"Our position is that that's not the public's business," said University of Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman. "Those are private transactions that are happening between Coleman Hawkins as an individual and third party entities that exist outside of the athletic program or outside of the university. This would provide us the tool to protect that information from having to pass it off to the media."
The legislation will also allow universities to create athletic department incentives for fans to support student athlete NIL activities. For example, fans could potentially get better parking or seats at an arena if they donate to NIL funds.Â
"This new law will build on the work we did in 2021 to help guarantee that college athletes are receiving fair benefits for their hard work and the contributions they continuously make to our state's universities," said Sen. Napoleon Harris (D-Harvey). "We need to continue to ensure students receive fair compensation for their talent and dedication."
House Bill 307 will take effect on January 1.Â
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