Louisiana Colleges, Boosters Could Soon Pay Student-Athletes, Recruits Directly
Louisiana Colleges, Boosters Could Soon Pay Student-Athletes, Recruits Directly
Receive articles like these conveniently delivered to your email inbox by signing up for Newsletter.
Legislation that aims to permit Louisiana universities and their affluent supporters to directly remunerate student-athletes has taken a significant step towards being approved by the governor. Senator Patrick Connick, representing Marrero, authored Senate Bill 250, which outlines provisions for colleges, universities, their affiliates, and boosters to compensate student-athletes for the usage of their name, image, and likeness. The proposal garnered unanimous support from the House Education Committee during its proceedings on Wednesday.
According to Connick, Senate Bill 250 would bring Louisiana in line with other states that have enacted similar laws. The bill explicitly prohibits any "pay-for-play" payment arrangements between educational institutions and student-athletes. Additionally, the committee made an amendment stating that name, image, and likeness (NIL) contracts between businesses and student-athletes, which are shared with the school, must be kept confidential.
Under this legislation, colleges and universities in Louisiana would also have the ability to directly compensate potential collegiate athletes. The Louisiana High School Athletic Association recently made a decision permitting high school students to profit from their name, image, and likeness. The bill would further authorize athletic boosters, or individuals representing an institution’s athletic interests, to facilitate compensation for student-athletes, either directly or indirectly. Connick emphasized that this change aligns Louisiana’s NIL laws with other states that have enacted similar measures.
It is important to note that student-athletes are still prohibited from earning money through endorsements related to tobacco, alcohol, illegal substances or activities, banned substances, or any form of sports betting.
The bill will now be presented to the House floor for a comprehensive vote. If it successfully passes, it will proceed to the governor’s desk for final approval.
As part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity, Louisiana Illuminator is committed to maintaining editorial independence. For any inquiries, please contact Editor Jarvis DeBerry at info@lailluminator.com. Keep up with Louisiana Illuminator’s updates on Facebook and Twitter.
You can also sign up for Newsletter and have articles like these conveniently delivered to your email inbox.
