The Nebraska unicameral dipped its toe into college athletics on Monday when Omaha senator Megan Hunt and several other state senators introduced LB 962, which the bill is calling the Nebraska Fair Pay to Play Act.
The bill reads similar to other bills introduced around the country in recent months that allow college athletes to be paid for their name, likeness and image outside of their sport.
Among the noteworthy portions of the bill:
— Institutions cannot prevent an athlete from participating in an intercollegiate sport because that athlete earns compensation for their name, image, or likeness rights or athletic reputation.
— No collegiate athletic association can penalize or prevent a student-athlete from fully participating in an intercollegiate sport because they earn compensation for their name, image, or likeness rights or athletic reputation.
— No collegiate athletic association can penalize a University or prevent an institution from fully participating in an intercollegiate sport because a student-athlete earns compensation for the use of such student-athlete’s name, image, or likeness rights or athletic reputation.
— An institution cannot allow compensation earned to affect the duration, amount, or eligibility for or renewal of any athletic grant-in-aid or other institutional scholarship.
— Any athlete who enters into a contract to benefit from their name, image, likeness rights or athletic reputation must notify their academic institution.
— An athlete shall not enter into a contract that requires student-athlete to display a sponsor's apparel or to otherwise advertise for the sponsor during official team activities and compliance with such contract requirement would conflict with a team contract.
The act would go into effect on July 1, 2023.
The act is similar to those written by other states, and does not force schools to pay athletes, but the drumbeat of bills allowing college athletes to benefit from their name and likeness forced the NCAA to act earlier this fall.
