It started with the state of Alabama, which repealed its NIL law in February because it was more restrictive than the few NCAA rules that provide guardrails in this fast-evolving space.
Now other states are moving, as expected, to relax their NIL laws so that their universities are not at a disadvantage in retaining or recruiting athletes in this competitive NIL era.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed an amendment to his state’s NIL law last week that creates a much friendlier environment for all-important donor-led collectives. School-specific collectives, which pool funds from donors to create NIL opportunities for athletes, have fast become an indispensable tool to help schools recruit and retain elite players.