Wisconsin governor Tony Evers has signed a bill that provides the University of Wisconsin with $15 million annually for facility debt services and exempts NIL from public records.
According to Yahoo News, in signing the bill, Evers also issued a partial veto, removing the word “maintenance” from the bill’s language with regards to the facilities debt.
“I am partially vetoing this bill because I object to the potential confusion created by referring to ‘maintenance,’ and my partial veto will better reflect the intent that the funding alleviate existing debt service,” Evers wrote. “I also object to how this bill unnecessarily restricts the use of funds appropriated for athletic facilities within the University of Wisconsin System. I believe that greater flexibility is necessary to ensure this funding can be used effectively and allow the system to maximize the state's investment.”
Chris McIntosh, the Badgers’ athletics director, said in committee that the $14.6 million in funding annually to the school’s athletics department for facilities debt is essential for the athletics department to remain competitive and supporting all varsity sports and several hundred student-athletes. He said that women’s and Olympic sports were at stake related to the bill.
In shifting facilities costs and debts, Wisconsin universities can use athletics dollars on other rising costs, like revenue-sharing and NIL.
Related: Wisconsin Senate Passes Bill to Service UW System Facilities Debt With Taxpayer Funds
In addition to the funds earmarked for facility debts, the bill also exempts NIL payments to student-athletes from the state’s open records laws. The goal is to protect student-athlete privacy and protect student-athletes’ designation as non-employees of the UW system.
Wisconsin is the latest in a group of several states that have passed bills protecting NIL documents from open records requests, including Utah, Louisiana, Kentucky and others, all focused on student-athlete privacy.
