Georgia governor Brian Kemp on Tuesday signed an executive order that will make it legal for universities and colleges to directly pay student-athletes for the use of their name, image and likeness.
Kemp hopes the order will make it easier for student-athletes to be paid until the NCAA can arrive at a settlement in an ongoing lawsuit that will pave the way for schools to compensate athletes.
According to 11 Alive, the order issued by Kemp's office specifies that "no postsecondary educational institution shall use funds allocated by the State of Georgia for such compensation."
Prior to the order being passed, student-athletes could only receive money for NIL deal through donor collectives or businesses seeking to use athletes for a promotion. Kemp's order allows schools to pay athletes directly without facing repercussions from the NCAA.
The NCAA is currently seeking to settle a lawsuit filed by a group of D-I athletes and former athletes that are seeking modest hourly wages similar to those earned by peers in work-study programs.
