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Virginia signs NIL law allowing universities to directly negotiate with players – Yellowhammer News
Thursday morning, Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin signed into law legislation permitting Virginia’s universities to directly sign student-athletes to Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals, a development that could spell massive changes across college athletics.
The NCAA currently prohibits schools from directly paying players, meaning most NIL money is raised and distributed through third-party organizations called collectives. For example, many of the University of Alabama’s NIL resources are distributed through Yea Alabama, which is not directly affiliated with UA.
Virginia’s new law, going into effect on July 1, contradicts the NCAA’s rule. The bill will make it illegal for the NCAA to punish schools for “violat[ing] [the NCAA’s] rules or regulations concerning name, image, or likeness.” Schools in Virginia will still not be able to pay players based on their on-field performance, but will be able to use athletic department resources to compensate athletes for appearing in campaigns and promotions.
The law won’t yet render collectives obsolete — there are too many moving parts and not enough open communication for that to be realistic, said University of Virginia Athletic Director Carla Williams — but it will bring collectives and athletic departments closer to unified entities.
In December, NCAA president Charlie Baker proposed that all schools have the ability to pay athletes via NIL deals, but “the schools who actually make the rules have thus far balked at bringing the athlete marketplace inside the athletic department’s control,” according to ESPN’s Dan Murphy.
NCAA president Charlie Baker has pushed for schools to be able to pay athletes directly for NIL, but the schools who actually make the rules have thus far balked at bringing the athlete marketplace inside the athletic department’s control.
— Dan Murphy (@DanMurphyESPN) April 18, 2024
Virginia’s new legislation may force the issue. If powerful members of D1 athletics don’t expedite their process and bring Baker’s proposal to a vote, the commonwealth’s schools could enjoy a significant recruiting advantage.
The bill is the latest in a series of state-level legislation across the country usurping the NCAA. Prominent NIL attorney Mit Winter, a former basketball player at William & Mary, told a Charlottesville newspaper that “he doesn’t think the NCAA has a whole lot of legal recourse” and pointed out the NCAA’s recent losing streak in court against lawsuits from the attorney generals of Virginia and Tennessee.
Youngkin emphasized his desire to see NIL governed by “colleges and universities,” not by parties like the NCAA.
“This bill takes a most important step that we in fact are first going to make sure that our institutions of higher education, our colleges and universities, are at the forefront with policies and procedures that they can review and approve, that they in fact can help manage this,” said the governor. “This is going to be a program that’s going to be managed by Virginia’s universities and colleges and not by outside institutions or associations.”
Nick Saban, U.S. Senators want to regulate NIL before it’s too late
The bill also explicitly stated that Virginia student-athletes will still not be considered employees.
Several figures representing Virginia’s D1 universities attended the bill’s signing, all of whom lobbied for NIL legislation.
“We are thankful to the state legislature and Governor Youngkin for their proactive work in the NIL space,” said Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock. “We take care of our student-athletes and recognize the value they bring to ensure the longstanding success of our athletic programs.”
UVA’s Williams thanked legislators “for ensuring student-athletes in Virginia have every opportunity to take full advantage of NIL.”
“Ultimately, and most importantly, we have an opportunity to fully support our student-athletes and coaches in NIL activities,” she added.
Charles Vaughan is a contributing writer for Yellowhammer News.
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.
That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.
But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.
The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.
Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.
Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.
Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.
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MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.
The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.
In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.
SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues
John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.
Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.
“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.
Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.
City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Five people were charged after Virginia Beach Police conducted a two-day human trafficking and vice operation on July 3, according to the Virginia Beach Police Department.
The department’s Special Investigations Bureau conducted the operation, which was aimed at identifiying human trafficking victims, reducing the demand for commercial sex and targeting individuals seeking to exploit or recruit children for prostitution.
Detectives used many investigative techniques to proactively identify individuals involved in criminal activity related to prostitution, human trafficking and offenses against children. The operation was conducted in Virginia Beach, involving personnel from all of the bureau’s squads.
As a result of the operation, five people were identified and charged with offenses ranging from solicitation of prostitution to sex trafficking and crimes involving minors. Two vehicles and U.S. currency were seized during the operation. Other people were connected to victim services through Samaritan House.
The operation led to the following people being charged:
- Shane Carter, 28, of Norfolk, was charged with solicitation of prostitution.
- Robert Harris, 64, of Virginia Beach, was charged with solicitation of prostitution and assault and battery.
- Larry Pittman, 53, of Portsmouth, was charged with sex trafficking and use of electronic devices to facilitaate certain offenses involving minors.
- Kenric Frazier, 46, of Portsmouth, was charged with sex trafficking, use of electronic devices to facilitate certain offenses involving minors and solicitation of child pornography.
- Cameron Lewis, 24, of Norfolk, was charged with solicitation of prostitution.
Investigators also developed leads about people who are suspected of trafficking and exploiting others for commercial sex. Those are now active and ongoing investigations. There may be more charges and arrests pending further investigation and consultation with the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
If you’re a human trafficking victim or know someone who is, you can report it to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
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