After the Pennsylvania legislature made alterations to its preexisting Name, Image, and Likeness law earlier this month, Penn State and other schools will experience more freedom in the space.

Signed by Governor Tom Wolf after unanimously passing through the state Senate and state House, Pennsylvania House Bill 2633‘s amendments removed prohibitions of school brokerage of NIL deals for its athletes. NIL compensation was initially legalized in Pennsylvania in June 2021.

In other words, Penn State can now legally work with its student-athletes to secure endorsements and organize events. Previously, only third-party NIL collectives — such as Limitless, We Are NIL, and Success With Honor — could work with Nittany Lion student-athletes on those deals.

Additionally, the law removed regulations forcing student-athletes to disclose their deals with schools at least seven days before they took hold.

In February, Penn State football head coach James Franklin spoke about the urgency of competitive NIL spaces in college football recruiting.

“Whether you totally agree with…NIL, the reality is you have to embrace [it],” Franklin said. “Once I embrace [it], I have to do a good job of explaining to all the people that have a hand in Penn State football…that they understand what we are competing against.”

With the evolving landscape of NIL, states are frequently clarifying and adjusting the rules by which schools can operate. Many discrepancies already exist between states, and universities have attempted to leverage them for advantages in the recruiting sphere of all sports.