While the NCAA takes incremental steps toward allowing college athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness, state legislatures continue to move faster toward the same end game, including Illinois and, possibly soon, Missouri.
On Wednesday, the Illinois House passed the Student Athlete Endorsement Act introduced by Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, to allow college athletes in his state to sign paid endorsement deals and hire agents while preserving their scholarships and NCAA eligibility. The bill is similar to the newly passed California law, the Fair Pay to Play Act, which goes into effect in 2023. Legislators in Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, New York and South Carolina are pushing similar measures.