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Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order Tuesday that allows athletes to be paid directly without following the NCAA rules.
Instead, athletes are being offered compensation for their name, image and likeness. At the start of the next academic year, athletes will be able to collect money via NIL deals without facing NCAA penalties. Georgia and Georgia Tech have not agreed to start orders immediately, sources told ESPN. Instead, the order gives the school the option to start paying their players if other schools around the country decide to.
However, the bill that was proposed to U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken posed questions about its effectivity. Wilken expressed she would not approve the current bill, per USA Today. Those who agreed on the proposition will need to provide her with a newly improved version on Sept. 26. With the proposition in the works, the deal gives Georgia and Georgia Tech an advantage in competitive NIL deals while compensating athletes, per ON3.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order that allows schools like the University of Georgia to pay players directly for the use of their NIL. https://t.co/glCXMYOe6a
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) September 17, 2024
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The pending trust if approved will cap the amount of money schools can directly give to athletes at $20 million, according the ESPN. Kemp’s order does not allow money to come from state funding where money given to players can only come from school funding or private donations, per WSB-TV Atlanta.
The first year of the deal is projected to prompt a cap higher than $20 million and continue to increase annually. As of now, with no law in place, colleges can pay their players as much as they please without a limit.
If overcompensation were to happen, the NCAA would have to challenge the executive board if it wants to stop the action.
The NCAA has also agreed along with its conferences to pay $2.8 million back in damages to former athletes, per ON3.
