John Calipari’s push for new NIL Bill (UPDATE)

Senate Bill 6 takes another big step forward.

By Zac Oakes and Jason Marcum Updated Feb 10, 2022, 7:32pm EST

UPDATE

The NIL bill that John Calipari and Mitch Barnhart pushed for was unanimously passed by the Kentucky Senate 37-0 on Thursday (insert jokes about Calipari having another 37-0 team). It previously passed the Senate Standing Committee on Education 10-0.

Known as Senate Bill 6, the next step is to get approval through a House vote. If that goes through, it will be signed by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.

Among the biggest parts of this bill are allowing schools to provide financial literacy and life skills education so the student-athletes can better understand NIL.

Another key part in the bill, which originally barred schools from negotiating deals on behalf of student-athletes, would now allow those talks to happen. That would make life much easier for the schools and athletes to work together on finding the best NIL deals.

Check out this story from the Kentucky Kernel for more info on what’s been taking place this week.

As discussions began on Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) legislation in Kentucky, John Calipari and Mitch Barnhart made their way to Frankfort to testify in front of a Kentucky Senate committee on the issue to express their support.

The Kentucky Wildcats basketball team, in particular, has been a big beneficiary of new NIL rules across the NCAA, allowing players like TyTy Washington to go get an endorsement from Fazoli’s or in other cases where the team has gotten deals for NFTs and the like.

And while the basketball team has seen the benefit, Barnhart said student-athletes from all over UK Athletics have benefitted with over 250 student-athletes receiving roughly 800 deals.

Here's more from AD Barnhart on the NIL deals that have gone through in the past several months ⬇

He specifically gives a shoutout to @masai_russell from UK track & field and @will_levis from UK football for how they've made NIL work for them so far https://t.co/AVi4XOf4Ib pic.twitter.com/J4cJMdWrNZ
— BBN Tonight (@BBNTonight) February 9, 2022

John Calipari speaks to the media following the passing of Senate Bill 6, pertaining to NIL. @KyKernel @KYKernelSports pic.twitter.com/Zm17RaF5ZL
— Hunter Shelton (@HunterWS11) February 9, 2022

With no federal law in place, states are putting together laws to govern policies in their respective states. The bill that passed through the Senate on Wednesday doesn’t seem to change too much from Governor Beshear’s executive order, so there aren’t likely to be too many changes in Kentucky.

The bill maintains the policy that NIL compensation can’t be used as a recruiting tool and puts certain restrictions on what can and cannot be approved.

With the success Kentucky basketball has had with NIL, it’s no surprise that John Calipari is a big fan, but this further solidifies how important he thinks it is moving forward.

Tweet of the Day

.@KeionB_12 during our five-game winning streak:

16.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG pic.twitter.com/491U8Y4eqP
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) February 9, 2022

Keion has been a true difference-maker.