Mississippi lawmakers push proposals to let college athletes earn from their image

Published 9:08 pm Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Mississippi legislators are pushing forward with proposals to let college athletes earn money from their own name, image or likeness.

Legislative leaders say all eight of Mississippi’s public universities and the state College Board support the proposals to help the schools compete for talent.

Senate Bill 2313 passed the Senate on Tuesday and will go to the House for more work later.

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House Bill 1030 is similar, and it could come up for debate in the House this week.

The two chambers would have to agree on a single bill to send to Republican Gov. Tate Reeves for his consideration.

A Florida law that takes effect July 1 will let student-athletes make money through contracts. A similar California law takes effect in January 2023. A small number of other states have also enacted such laws.

The NCAA, which governs intercollegiate sports, says that it is “best positioned to provide a uniform and fair name, image and likeness approach for all student-athletes on a national scale.”