On Monday, Governor Kevin Stitt took a decisive step to bolster the prospects of Oklahoma’s student-athletes. By means of Executive Order 2025-01, Stitt seeks to firmly position Oklahoma as a state that actively empowers its college athletes in the ever-shifting landscape of intercollegiate sports. Direct payments for the use of student athletes’ name, image, and likeness (NIL) are to be facilitated by Oklahoma’s postsecondary institutions, according to the executive order detailed at the Oklahoma Governor website.
“Oklahoma is home to some of the nation’s most outstanding student-athletes,” Governor Stitt expressed in the announcement, acknowledging the challenges posed by the lack of a uniform national standard for NIL compensation. With this executive action, Oklahoma aims to quickly adapt and to protect its student-athletes from falling behind, by ensuring they “have access to the same opportunities as their peers in other states.” This move is not just a nod to fairness but a bid to preserve the storied competitive edge characterizing Oklahoma athletics, as per the Oklahoma Governor website.
The order comes amidst ongoing federal and legal uncertainties about NIL payments. It establishes a structure for the creation of foundations that will act as intermediaries for NIL funds, ensuring these donations won’t attract scrutiny from governing bodies like the NCAA. A key point of the order is the clear line drawn against the use of Oklahoma taxpayer money for NIL deals. The governor’s office specifies that the order will expire automatically once a federal ruling on the issue is set in stone…