Georgia NIL law allows schools to take up 75% of student-athletes' income

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed the state's first name, image, and likeness bill into law Thursday during a ceremony at the University of Georgia, according to Nick Bromberg of Yahoo Sports.

House Bill 617 was passed by the state legislature in March and, effective July 1, will allow student-athletes to profit from endorsements and sponsorships while keeping their amateur status.

However, the law includes a provision that allows schools to take up to 75% of a student-athlete's income from the use of their name, image, and likeness. That share would be placed in a pool for all student-athletes at the school and paid out after graduation.

"It sets Georgia on the path to accomplish something that, quite honestly, should have been done a long time ago," Kemp said Thursday, according to Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Simply put, college athletes in Georgia should be fairly compensated for the use of their name, image, and likeness."

Georgia joins Florida, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Alabama among states that have passed NIL legislation that goes into effect in July. Maryland and South Carolina have passed bills that are currently waiting for their respective governor's signature.

The NCAA, meanwhile, is still waiting for a nationwide guideline for student-athlete endorsements, but no federal law is expected to address the issue in the near future and the NCAA delayed its own vote on NIL changes in January.