Bill Addressing Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) Rules For College Athletes Advances In Okla. House

Oklahoma college athletes could start seeing a paycheck from their universities, not just companies, for using their name, image and likeness.

Name, image and likeness rules, also known as NIL, are constantly changing. There is a push at the state capitol this session to ensure Oklahoma stays competitive against other state’s universities.

Senator Kristen Thompson (R-Edmond) is the author of the bill.

“At the end of the day, we want our universities, no matter what size, what conference they are in, we want them to have all the tools they need to be the most competitive in the country,” Thompson said. “So that’s what this bill does.”

Senate Bill 1786 would allow Oklahoma universities to pay student athletes, if those changes come from conferences or federal law changes.

Thompson says this was a request from the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University to make sure they can stay ahead of the game, in case any of those changes come while lawmakers are not in session.

Thompson says many republicans, including her, aren’t big fans of NIL to begin with. However, she realizes this is a big part of recruiting, and could quickly become a reality.

The bill passed unanimously out of the House committee this afternoon, it's now headed to the House floor.