While disagreeing with the lack of transparency built into legislation that deals with student-athletes’ names, image and likeness, Gov. Jared Polis signed the measure into law on Friday, even as he criticized the “unfortunate trend” of bills that he said ultimately impede access to official records.
House Bill 1041 would allow a public institution of higher education or an athletic association to compensate a student-athlete for using their name, image, or likeness (NIL) in branding or marketing for the institution.
The bill creates a new exception to the state’s open records law, blocking from public records the names of public college athletes and any other personally identifiable information when they sign an NIL deal with a college or university…