JACKSON ⢠Mississippi college athletes could sign agents and ink endorsement deals under a pair of bills advancing through the Legislature.
Separate versions of the so-called âname, image and likenessâ measures â House Bill 1030 and Senate Bill 2313 â cleared their respective chambers this week. The legislation received bipartisan backing.
If approved, the legislation would let a college athlete sign endorsement deals, hire an agent and accept gifts, actions that would presently could lead to sanctions. The billsâ advancement in Mississippi follows similar actions in several other states, including Florida and California.
The NCAA and Congress have yet to approve âname, image and likenessâ proposals, so states have opted to act on their own. Rep. Scott Bounds, R-Philadelphia, said waiting to approve a similar measure could put Mississippi at a recruiting disadvantage. âEvery day that this is not addressed, we are losing ground to other institutions around us,â Bounds said.