Maryland Among States Poised to Allow College Athletes to Profit Off Their Name, Image and Likeness

A seismic shift will rock college sports next month, when a handful of new state laws go into effect allowing student-athletes to make money off their personal images. It’s been against the rules governing collegiate sports for student-athletes to make a profit off their name or image — a practice that’s commonplace in professional sports. But a flurry of states has forged ahead with laws granting college athletes the rights to their own “name, image and likeness,” arguing that it’s a matter of fairness for student-athletes. Statutes in five states, including Georgia and Florida, will go into effect July 1.