New name and image law won't have strong impact on Western

Aug. 20—Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed legislation last week relaxing the state's name, image and likeness law, but the impact on student-athletes at Missouri Western State University is likely to be minimal.

House Bill 417 will go into effect on Aug. 28 and allow employees of a college, including coaching staff, to be present at the negotiating table to assist student-athletes with deals offered by a third party.

In addition, college athletic associations and conferences will be prohibited from penalizing a student-athlete for receiving compensation for his or her name, image or likeness (NIL).

Missouri Western Athletic Director Andy Carter said the new law will open a few more doors, but it will not affect his school at the same level as a Division I university.

"That was done for the University of Missouri. It doesn't really change a lot at our level," he said. "I mean, there's more opportunity, but how many businesses are going to pay Division II student-athletes the kind of money they're talking about at that level?"

Carter said the Missouri Western athletic department operates with a budget of between $9 and $10 million, which is significantly smaller than a Division I university in one of the NCAA's premier conferences.

"It hasn't become a competitive issue on recruiting in that, 'Oh, well, we better give this young person this at the Division II level,'" he said. "There's not that level of investment. Most of the opportunities provide for young people to make money off of their name, image and likeness in areas that provide them discounts on clothing or discounts on services. It's not cash."

The new legislation also allows high school athletes to earn name, image or likeness money if a written agreement is signed, like a letter of intent, to enroll in a Missouri college.

Numerous states such as New York, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas, have passed similar laws curbing the NCAA's power to enforce certain name, image or likeness rules.

"I think as long as we have uncapped issues continuing and it's a highest bidder situation, it creates inequity almost immediately when a young person now is being inundated with financial opportunity at 16, 17, 18 years of age," Carter said. "That's unprecedented. I'm not saying they shouldn't have some opportunity, but it's not controllable across our association of competition. It's controllable right now, state by state."