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Mississippi NIL changes aimed at keeping state schools competitive in recruiting

Apr. 20—Significant tweaks to Mississippi's Name, Image and Likeness law were made when Gov. Tate Reeves signed Senate Bill 2690 on Wednesday.

Specifically, junior colleges and universities can now play a more active role in guiding their athletes through NIL.

In the first year of the law, schools were prohibited from engaging with third parties who sought to align themselves with college athletes.

Now schools can communicate with those outside parties.

School administrators have said this is necessary to provide guidance to athletes and help them identify opportunities that fall within state law and those that may not.

The second significant change allows athletes to enter into NIL contracts at the point that they offer a "verbal commitment" to a Mississippi junior college or university.

Previously, athletes could not sign an NIL deal until they were enrolled in the school.

The bill, originally authored by Sen. Rita Parks, R-Corinth, has been subject to amending in an effort to remain competitive with laws in other states, supporters have said.

Supporters of the change want to see Mississippi's law as "user friendly" as possible to allow state schools to continue to recruit successfully against schools in other states.

But user-friendly doesn't mean anything goes.

Mississippi's law also requires that those seeking to enter into an NIL agreement with an athlete include clear language in the contract that warns the athlete of possible loss of eligibility to compete should the deal signed be found in violation of the law.

The warning must be "in close proximity to the signature of the student-athlete, a conspicuous notice in boldface type and in capital letters."

Daily Journal capital reporter Taylor Vance contributed to this report.

PARRISH ALFORD is the college sports editor and columnist for the Daily Journal. Contact him at parrish.alford@journalinc.com.