Georgia governor Brian Kemp has signed an executive order prohibiting the NCAA from enforcing NIL legislation against in-state schools, state officials announced Tuesday. The ruling would give a major advantage to in-state schools, especially the University of Georgia, as the rules surrounding athlete compensation continue to evolve.
According to the order: "Neither the NCAA, an athletic conference, nor any other organization with authority over intercollegiate athletics shall take any adverse action against a postsecondary educational institution in the State of Georgia for such institution facilitating compensation, offering compensation, or compensating an intercollegiate student-athlete for the use of such student-athlete's NIL."
The executive order specifically states that the order will remain valid only until a formal settlement or federal legislation is passed to deal with issues of athlete compensation. Most notably, the House v. NCAA class action lawsuit is in the final stages of settlement and expected to be finalized in time for the 2025-26 academic year.
The House v. NCAA settlement -- which has yet to be finalized -- is set to dramatically transform college athletics by allowing programs to share more than 20% of athletic department revenue. Decision-makers desperately want to avoid a piecemeal solution to NIL legislation in the meantime.
Multiple states have considered similar measures in recent months. Sources tell CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd that the state of Missouri worked on a similar move earlier this year, but stood down after being discouraged by SEC officials. Now that Georgia acted, though, the rest of the SEC could view themselves as a recruiting disadvantage against the Bulldogs and act accordingly.
