Florida State launches program to help its athletes as new NIL law approaches

Name, Image and Likeness bill in Florida becomes law on July 1

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida State is preparing student-athletes at the university for changes in state law that will allow them to profit on their Name, Image and Likeness beginning this summer.

The school announced on Monday that it has launched the Apex program within its athletic department to prepare for the July 1 launch of the Intercollegiate Athlete Compensation and Rights bill. That bill, signed last June by Gov. Ron DeSantis, allows college athletes to profit off of their Name, Image and Likeness.

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“I am extremely proud of the comprehensive nature of the Apex program,” FSU Vice President and Director of Athletics David Coburn said in a release.

“The cornerstone principle from the start of this process was to educate our student-athletes, and education plays a central role in every aspect of Apex. We believe we are the only Power Five school in the nation that will offer two for-credit courses in NIL education. By partnering with the FSU College of Business, the Jim Moran Institute and INFLCR, we will provide a complete educational process from which our student-athletes will benefit immediately and throughout their lives.”

The school has partnered with INFLCR to help with the efforts across social media. INFLCR will help athletes expand their social media reach. The school said that “Apex’s objective is to allow all 500 Seminole student-athletes to maximize Florida State’s national brand and put the student-athletes in the optimal position to capitalize on the benefits of the NIL bill passed in Florida.”

The program is also offering two for-credit college courses that will allow athletes to be educated on professional sports and drafts, Olympics sports, grad school, the workforce and entrepreneurship. Junior and senior athletes can enroll in a second course that focuses on building a brand on social media, brand management and using social analytics.


About the Author:

Justin Barney joined News4Jax in February 2019, but he’s been covering sports on the First Coast for more than 20 years.