Update On Key Developments In Name, Image, & Likeness (NIL) Legislative Efforts

In 2021, the world of college athletics was forever changed when the NCAA introduced its interim policy allowing college athletes to commercialize their name, image, and likeness ("NIL"). Since then, there has been an influx of change at various levels of the college athletics industry. As of the date of this article, twenty-nine states have passed legislation allowing college athletes to monetize their NIL, and at least five other states have proposed legislation on the matter, creating wide discrepancies among and between the states. But despite the significant state activity, and the uneven playing field the differing state laws have created, the federal government's involvement in NIL legislation has been notably absent from the picture. With recent data revealing that the NIL industry is likely to become a billion-dollar industry this year, industry leaders have called for uniformity in the form of federal legislation.