NIL MONEY FOR ALL
2 hours 18 minutes ago #544
by wvu4u2
NIL MONEY FOR ALL was created by wvu4u2
Gov. Patrick Morrisey signs two NIL bills set to level the playing field for WVU and its little brother
September 11, 2025 5:19 pm by Spencer Ripchik, The Dominion Post
MORGANTOWN — Lawmakers, WVU president Michael T. Benson, athletic director Wren Baker, football coach Rich Rodriguez and three WVU football players were in attendance Thursday to watch West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey sign two bills into law inside WVU football’s team room.
Morrisey signed House Bill 2595, which authorized higher education institutions to establish a nonprofit to manage revenue sharing and NIL opportunities for student athletes. He then signed House Bill 2576, which is called the NIL Protection Act.
“I can tell you, as the governor of the state, I want to do everything I can to help WVU and other higher education institutions succeed in this new NIL framework,” Morrisey said. “That’s why I’m proud to be here today.”
In Bill 2576, nonprofits are now required to be controlled by the schools with the goal to “maximize” NIL opportunities for student athletes and efficiency in conducting business. Recently, in the case of the House v. NCAA settlement, it ruled that schools were allowed to directly pay student athletes part of revenue sharing up to $20.5 million annually per school. Baker announced at a press conference in late August that WVU had raised enough funds to reach that mark.
WVU created the Gold & Blue Enterprise in June to reach the full revenue-sharing mark, and this new bill allows the university to run as a modern commercial enterprise.
The NIL Protection Act bans athletic associations, like the NCAA, conferences, and other governing bodies, from “penalizing” West Virginia athletic departments for NIL activities. It also lets student-athletes receive NIL compensation from schools or third parties, and permits them to have an attorney or agent.
“We’ve been involved in some of those issues in the past,” Morrisey said.
Morrsiey talked about how other states and conferences, like the SEC, which he called out, had been cheating in the past, so the goal of these bills was to put West Virginia athletics on a level playing field with other institutions across the country. More than 30 states have passed some sort of NIL legislation, and West Virginia has now joined them. Benson, who came from Coastal Carolina, helped the state of South Carolina pass similar legislation, and said this process was smoother.
“West Virginia joins those states to be able to open up those opportunities and make recruiting more competitive for the Mountaineers, for the Thundering Herd, and, quite frankly, for all institutions across West Virginia,” Morrisey said.
With the new laws regarding NIL nationwide, West Virginia schools needed a vehicle and a clear mission statement, so these two bills provide the framework to compete at the highest level. Morrisey said now they can win the “economic Backyard Brawl,” meaning schools can financially compete with some of their rivals, like Pitt.
In return for signing the two bills, Morrisey was awarded his own No. 37 WVU jersey by Baker and Benson for the support of the West Virginian government in athletics.
“I’m going to have your back,” Morrisey said. “I think the legislature is going to have your back in this new world, because we want all of our universities to compete and be a place likely to win. That’s what’s critical. That’s why we’re all here. We’re not about participation trophies here at WVU.”
Author: Spencer Ripchik, The Dominion Post
September 11, 2025 5:19 pm by Spencer Ripchik, The Dominion Post
MORGANTOWN — Lawmakers, WVU president Michael T. Benson, athletic director Wren Baker, football coach Rich Rodriguez and three WVU football players were in attendance Thursday to watch West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey sign two bills into law inside WVU football’s team room.
Morrisey signed House Bill 2595, which authorized higher education institutions to establish a nonprofit to manage revenue sharing and NIL opportunities for student athletes. He then signed House Bill 2576, which is called the NIL Protection Act.
“I can tell you, as the governor of the state, I want to do everything I can to help WVU and other higher education institutions succeed in this new NIL framework,” Morrisey said. “That’s why I’m proud to be here today.”
In Bill 2576, nonprofits are now required to be controlled by the schools with the goal to “maximize” NIL opportunities for student athletes and efficiency in conducting business. Recently, in the case of the House v. NCAA settlement, it ruled that schools were allowed to directly pay student athletes part of revenue sharing up to $20.5 million annually per school. Baker announced at a press conference in late August that WVU had raised enough funds to reach that mark.
WVU created the Gold & Blue Enterprise in June to reach the full revenue-sharing mark, and this new bill allows the university to run as a modern commercial enterprise.
The NIL Protection Act bans athletic associations, like the NCAA, conferences, and other governing bodies, from “penalizing” West Virginia athletic departments for NIL activities. It also lets student-athletes receive NIL compensation from schools or third parties, and permits them to have an attorney or agent.
“We’ve been involved in some of those issues in the past,” Morrisey said.
Morrsiey talked about how other states and conferences, like the SEC, which he called out, had been cheating in the past, so the goal of these bills was to put West Virginia athletics on a level playing field with other institutions across the country. More than 30 states have passed some sort of NIL legislation, and West Virginia has now joined them. Benson, who came from Coastal Carolina, helped the state of South Carolina pass similar legislation, and said this process was smoother.
“West Virginia joins those states to be able to open up those opportunities and make recruiting more competitive for the Mountaineers, for the Thundering Herd, and, quite frankly, for all institutions across West Virginia,” Morrisey said.
With the new laws regarding NIL nationwide, West Virginia schools needed a vehicle and a clear mission statement, so these two bills provide the framework to compete at the highest level. Morrisey said now they can win the “economic Backyard Brawl,” meaning schools can financially compete with some of their rivals, like Pitt.
In return for signing the two bills, Morrisey was awarded his own No. 37 WVU jersey by Baker and Benson for the support of the West Virginian government in athletics.
“I’m going to have your back,” Morrisey said. “I think the legislature is going to have your back in this new world, because we want all of our universities to compete and be a place likely to win. That’s what’s critical. That’s why we’re all here. We’re not about participation trophies here at WVU.”
Author: Spencer Ripchik, The Dominion Post
Please Log in to join the conversation.