New laws on name, image and likeness recommended in Louisiana

by Piper Hutchinson, Louisiana Illuminator
December 8, 2025

A Louisiana Legislature task force on name, image and likeness deals for student-athletes is suggesting the state create new laws to regulate agents and sponsorships for high school athletes. 

Its members met Monday and recommended expanding the definition of an agent to include people involved in securing NIL deals for athletes. The group also recommended the Louisiana attorney general require background checks and mandatory training on NIL activities for registered agents. 

Name, image and likeness deals for high school athletes are currently not addressed in state law. The task force has suggested legislation to require parental consent for minors to sign sponsorships and prohibit deals with certain industries, such as adult entertainment and alcoholic beverages. The task force also recommended regulating the NIL-related work students can do during school hours and during school-related events. 

The task force also wants to pursue legislation that would require underaged athletes deposit a portion of their compensation into a protected trust account, similar to a current state law for child actors. 

State Rep. Tehmi Chassion, D-Lafayette, who sits on the task force, said the legislation would likely be carried either by him or Rep. Rashid Young, D-Homer, a former Grambling State football player who chairs the task force and authored the resolution that created it. 

Chassion said any legislation would need the blessing of Gov. Jeff Landry and Republican legislators. 

The task force also recommended the creation of a separate study group to analyze the funding structures of athletics departments at Louisiana’s public colleges and universities. Although LSU earns enough money from its football program to finance the rest of its sports teams, athletics departments at every other state university operate at a loss. Their programs require financial support from the universities and, at times, contribute to severe financial problems at the schools. 

Lawmakers approved a bill this year that increases the state tax on sports gambling to give some of the money to state college athletics programs. Each school will receive approximately $2 million annually from the program starting next year. 

In addition to its legislative goals, the task force recommended universities educate student-athletes about mental health and create policies prohibiting international athletes from engaging in NIL deals until there is federal guidance on the topic. 

International student-athletes, who must obtain visas to attend school in the United States, have prohibitions against outside employment or participating in any income-generating activities. Those who receive sponsorship deals risk losing their legal status to be in the country. 

The task force also recommended that universities consider the Title IX implications when creating NIL policies and revenue sharing. This summer, a federal judge approved a settlement in the case House v. NCAA that will allow schools to pay their student-athletes directly. Many colleges that do not make a profit with their athletics program will still pay their players to maintain a competitive advantage. 

Title IX requires equity in educational access, including offering athletic scholarships proportionate to the gender balance in enrollment. It does not require equal spending on men’s and women’s programs. 

In Louisiana, LSU, Grambling, Northwestern, Southeastern and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette are participating in revenue sharing. 

The task force recommended schools update their NIL policies by August 2026. Any new legislation would likely be filed in the upcoming regular legislative session that begins March 9 and concludes June 1. Any legislation passed would likely be implemented the following August or January.

Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: [email protected].