TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Dec 18, 2025

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn has introduced legislation to bring accountability to name, image and likeness (NIL) deals and help college athletes invest the money they earn from these arrangements. According to Knox News, the bill would direct the U.S. Treasury to establish NIL regulations, require agents to register with their states before representing athletes, cap agent fees at 5% of the deal, and direct athletic associations to maintain public registries of agents. For athletes, the bill would create tax-advantaged investment accounts and allow up to $35,000 of unused NIL funds to be rolled over into an IRA or other retirement plan once the athlete has been out of college sports for at least a year. According to a press release from Blackburn's office, the proposal has the support of SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and the University of Tennessee.