Louisiana joins other states, passes law allowing colleges, boosters to facilitate NIL deals
Louisiana is joining Mississippi and Tennessee in tearing down restrictions dealing with name, image and likeness.
The state on Friday passed an amended law allowing colleges, universities and boosters to facilitate and compensate NIL deals with athletes.
Act 307, formerly known as Louisiana Senate Bill 250, was signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards and officially came into effect Friday. The bill passed the Senate unanimously and received only four no votes in the House.
Tennessee and Mississippi passed similar laws in May and April, respectively. The bill in Tennessee allowed coaches and recruiters to be directly involved with the NIL process, while the amended law in Mississippi permits schools to work with third parties on NIL deals.
The news comes in the aftermath of new LSU football coach Brian Kelly's comments at the SEC Spring Meetings surrounding NIL and player compensation in college football.
"This has turned into a runaway train that has moved well past a student-athlete and is moving too fast toward a professional contract," Kelly said. "I don’t think that’s what the intention was. So we’re going to need some guidelines here before this gets thrown into Congress."
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By allowing LSU and its boosters to work directly with collectives and businesses on NIL deals for its athletes, the law passed by Edwards on Friday allows the Tigers more leverage and opportunity in an area that it had previously been lacking.
For example, star wide receiver Kayshon Boutte had reportedly nearly entered the transfer portal over a lack of NIL deals before signing one with Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys in January.
But despite the law's potential benefits, it does not provide the level of transparency or structure Kelly desires.
At the spring meetings, Kelly suggested eliminating boosters from the NIL equation and asking for greater clarity on what proposed NIL contracts would look like. Friday's bill only enhances the ability for boosters to secure NIL deals and did not provide any new guidelines as to what they should be.
"How can we reel this in and make sure the student-athletes have the ability to be educated so they have something that they can build on later?" Kelly said. "I think that’s what we’re all trying to get our hands on."
If the NCAA and local and national governing bodies cannot find solutions or provide more clarity with NIL, Kelly fears that college football will lose its status as an amateur sport.
"I don’t think (athletes) want contracts," Kelly said. "I don’t think they want to be traded. I’m sure they don’t want to be cut. I’m sure they’re not going to like getting a call at 3 p.m. in the afternoon saying, ‘Hey, I don’t know but we traded you today to St. Bonaventure. Oh, they don’t have a football team.’”
Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser and the USA TODAY Sports South Region. Email him at kriley@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana colleges, boosters can facilitate NIL deals under new law
