Philadelphia City Council is moving ahead with a bill that would help high school and college athletes make promotional deals without losing their eligibility.
The bill, introduced by Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, was introduced to City Council for a second time on Jan. 25 after it was secretly pocket vetoed by former mayor Jim Kenney just days before his term ended.
The first-in-the-nation bill will help high school student-athletes gain pathways for Name, Image and Likeness deals, scholarships, or provide them with industry insight from business professionals.
The bill unanimously passed through City Council on Dec. 14, and following Kenney's pocket veto, it had to go through the same process again.
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Thomas hosted a press conference at Temple University's Beasley School of Law announcing a partnership between his office and Temple on Jan. 24. Temple has helped Thomas with the bill, and will help fund parts of the bill, including a 24/7 hotline student-athletes can call to ask questions.
The hotline will provide legal advice about NIL policies to high school student-athletes who hope to play at the college level. The hotline will be run by Temple law professor Kenneth Jacobsen and Temple law students.
Coaches and administrators are not allowed to help athletes on financial decisions due to state law. Thomas, who coaches high school basketball at Sankofa Freedom Academy, is barred from providing his players with guidance if they come to him with NIL-related questions.
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Thomas says the bill does not cost Philadelphia or Harrisburg any money and will be successful largely because Temple has agreed to own all the professional services that student athletes need to help navigate their way through the NIL process.
NIL's July 2021 introduction changed high school and college athletics entirely. Historically, student-athletes have not been allowed to profit off their Name, Image or Likeness while keeping their eligibility. Now, they can agree to endorsements and receive compensation off their likeness.
NIL has largely drawn mixed feelings from coaches and fans, with its biggest critics pointing to finances being integrated in college athletics drastically changing the landscape and integrity of what college sports should be in the first place.
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