CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Big changes are coming for student athletes in Illinois.
Illinois has joined a handful of other states in allowing student athletes to be compensated for their name, image and likeness. That means students can make endorsement deals and hire agents, which they were not able to do previously.
The bill was signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday, June 29 at the University of Illinois' State Farm Center in Champaign.
Gov. Pritzker was joined by the bill's sponsor, Illinois State Representative Kam Buckner, as well as athletics directors from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Northwestern University and DePaul University.
"This bill is essentially about fairness," said Rep. Buckner, "We cannot continue to economically suppress these young people while they infuse tremendous amounts of money into our economies."
The law goes into effect on July 1, 2021 and applies to all collegiate student athletes, regardless of sport or division.
"I want to be clear, this is not just a win for the star quarterback or the star point guard," said Rep. Buckner, "This gives the women's tennis player the opportunity to be compensated for teaching lessons back in her home town during summer breaks. This creates an apparatus for the women's softball player to lend her image to the local pizzeria for fair market value."
According to Gov. Pritzker, the new law will also attract athletes to Illinois programs.
"Already schools here, including the University of Illinois and DePaul, are launching programs to support students in this process, yet another reason for student athletes nationwide to choose Illinois," said Gov. Pritzker, "This isn't just a win for student athletes, it's a win for the future of our entire state."
This law comes just one day after the NCAA Division I Council formally recommended that the Board of Governors adopt a name, image and likeness policy on an interim basis.
The board is expected to vote on Wednesday, June 30. If accepted, the policy would likely remain in place until federal legislation or new NCAA rules are made.