Gov. Jeff Landry issues executive order supporting student-athlete NIL payment in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Colleges in Louisiana can now facilitate NIL deals for student-athletes without being penalized.

Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order on Tuesday, May 13, in support of student-athletes in Louisiana receiving fair compensation for their name, image, and likeness (NIL) as national legal proceedings continue around the issue.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and several athletic conferences have entered into a proposed settlement agreement, which, if approved, would permit colleges to pay student-athletes directly for the use of their name, image, and likeness.

The governor says other states have allowed colleges to directly pay their student-athletes while the settlement is pending.

He added that the signed executive order is to make sure that Louisiana student-athletes are not left at a competitive or financial disadvantage.

Key components of the executive order include:

• Protecting Louisiana postsecondary institutions from adverse action by the NCAA, athletic conferences, or other governing bodies if they facilitate or offer NIL compensation to student-athletes.
• Prohibiting the use of state-allocated funds for such compensation.
• The order remains in effect until the earlier of two events: the enactment of relevant federal NIL legislation or the effective date of the proposed NIL settlement.

“Louisiana is proud to be home to student-athletes who consistently compete and win at the highest levels of college athletics. As national policies and developments continue to reshape the landscape of college sports, this executive order is about fairness—for our Louisiana students, our schools, and our athletes,” said Landry.  

“We’re grateful to Governor Landry for his leadership and proactive approach with this executive order. This will afford all higher education institutions in the state of Louisiana the ability to remain nimble and at the forefront of the ever-changing college athletics landscape,” LSU Athletics Director Scott Woodward said.

“I want to thank Governor Landry for the leadership he has demonstrated by signing this executive order, and for his commitment to supporting Louisiana colleges, universities, and our student-athletes by providing stability in the current landscape of collegiate sports,” said Southern Director of Athletics Roman Banks. 

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