Florida Removes NIL Restrictions Under New Law, Giving Schools More Participation

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — Florida has effectively lifted its name, likeness and likeness restrictions for college athletes, in accordance with a bill signed Thursday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis was joined by University of Florida football coach Billy Napier, Florida State University football coach Mike Norvell, and several student-athletes from both schools as he signed HB 7-B in Tallahassee.

The Intercollegiate Compensation and Athletes’ Rights Act removes language that previously prevented schools and coaches from helping make deals for players.

“In 2020, we used common sense to ensure that student athletes can control their name, image, and likeness and get paid fairly for it,” DeSantis said. “Now that the NCAA has taken the necessary steps to ensure fairness for student athletes, we can focus on ensuring that these athletes are supported and protected in accordance with the law.”

Under the new law, schools are still not allowed to directly pay student athletes.

DeSantis and Florida lawmakers announced their support for NIL legislation back in 2019. Florida was one of the first to pass NIL laws before the NCAA released their loose rules, which essentially allowed institutions to follow each state’s rules.

Phil Sears/AP

However, the law, as originally drafted, greatly limited the participation of Florida schools and created an uneven playing field, as schools in states that did not have NIL laws had carte blanche to determine how student-athletes are compensated for approved transactions.

The NCAA prohibits schools from tying advertising deals to student-athlete recruitment, but there is little to prevent enforcement.

Rep. Chip Lamarck, R-Lighthouse Point, sponsored the bill and told WPTV.com last month that he was supported by both parties. He was right. The Florida House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 113 to 0.

Phelan M. Ebenhak/AP

In Florida, student-athletes are compensated through third party organizations such as Rising spearwhich provides NIL-opportunities for players from the former USSR, and Alligator Collectivewhich is the version of the University of Florida.

The Gator Collective recently made headlines amid the Jayden Rashada debacle.

Rashad, who was originally sent to Miami before signing with Florida last month, sought release from his letter of intent to play for the Gators after funding a $13 million NIL deal brokered by the Gator Collective reportedly fell through.

The coveted quarterback recruit is now in Arizona.

Lamarca said last month that he believes the failed deal was helped by a lack of institutional involvement.

The new law also requires student athletes to attend two workshops on financial literacy, life skills, and entrepreneurship prior to graduation.

Coaches and schools are also not liable for any damage to a student-athlete’s ability to earn zero money as a result of their decisions.

Lamarck, who was present at the signing, praised Florida for continuing to “lead the field in collegiate athletics” and “providing the best education and training for our athletes, from financial literacy to entrepreneurship education.”

“They will be ready to build their brand,” Lamarca said.