The last time Florida State University football players and head coach Mike Norvell met their counterparts, head coach Billy Napier and the University of Florida in Tallahassee, FSU came out on top by a score of 45-38 in an all-time thriller on a rare Black Friday night matchup.
However, today they met for a different reason in the sunshine state’s capital, and it appears they both came out victorious. The two coaches looked on as Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed HB 7-B, which looks to clarify state laws considering Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), which allows collegiate athletes to profit from endorsements without being paid by the school directly.
Whether it is a brand like Mcdonald's or a local restaurant, businesses can now sponsor and endorse athletes, have them appear in commercials, etc.
After nearly 200 years of amateur collegiate athletics, the ability to profit from your contributions on the field legally and fairly as a student-athlete was granted a few years ago.
Two years ago, FL became one of the first states in the nation to permit student-athletes to be compensated for use of their names, image & likeness.
The NIL bill I signed today will further benefit student-athletes while ensuring they're protected from commercial exploitation. pic.twitter.com/iemJdPnN3s
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 16, 2023
“In 2020, we took a commonsense approach to ensure that student-athletes could control their name, image and likeness and be paid fairly for it,” said Governor DeSantis. “Now that the NCAA has taken necessary steps to ensure fairness for student-athletes, we can focus on making sure that those athletes are supported and protected under the law."
The bill, which looks to update previous NIL legislation, will allow university staff members (such as coaches, athletic directors, or others) to help facilitate NIL deals for athletes as long as it is still done through a third-party such as a business or a “collective” – a crowd-sourced fund towards collegiate athletes.
According to The Gainesville Sun, Coach Norvell spoke about the new legislation that was still expected to be signed at the time while at a booster event in Pensacola, Florida.
"Now with the steps in legislature that are taking place, that's going to probably allow a little bit more openness with at least being able to have some discussions that previously we weren't able to have or didn't have those opportunities," stated Norvell. He would go on to mention that there might have to be kinks worked out in the system in Florida due to the NCAA’s standards still in play, but that “it’s good to see progression.”
"It's probably not going to change a ton, but as everything progresses, it's good to see progression. I'm sure that will get a little bit further along once we get a full understanding of all the things that are there because you still have your NCAA rules and regulations. But within our own state, being able to have that openness, I think is going to be good,” Norvell said.
The bill requires student-athletes to take two financial literacy classes while simultaneously protecting institutions from legal action should a player sue over a contract dispute. In short, a coach or a university can bench or suspend a player regardless of the requirements a player needs to fulfill in order to satisfy their contract without liability.
