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Earlier this month, Tennessee signed Senate Bill 536 into law, giving major protection to college sports programs in the state as they traverse the new, chaotic NIL landscape.

As college football and basketball programs in Tennessee strategize for the future amid the absence of federal NIL legislation or final approval on the House settlement, they can do so without fear of the NCAA.

In what’s considered one of the most “athlete-friendly” NIL laws in the country, as On3 Sports reports, the law will protect schools from antitrust lawsuits while taking some shots at the terms within the settlement.

Under S.B. 356, which went into effect May 1, athletes in Tennessee will be able to receive compensation from NIL collectives until explicitly told otherwise by federal law, antitrust law, or a valid court order.

The NCAA cannot “create anticompetitive restrictions that lessen, or tend to lessen, full and free competition in trade or commerce affecting this State or to otherwise violate state and federal law.”

In addition, the NCAA shall not “establish, adopt, promulgate, implement, or enforce any rule, standard, procedure, policy, or guideline that violates an applicable state or federal antitrust law,” and it should make sure it’s “legally exempt from applicable antitrust laws” before doing so.

It shields Tennessee schools from legal issues arising over any alleged violations, as the NCAA “shall fully indemnify and hold harmless the state, its institutions, and intercollegiate athletes from any damages, losses, claims, or remedies of any kind arising from its noncompliance or failure under such applicable law.”

It also provides protections for grant-in-aid and athletic eligibility that may arise from any disputes.

While the date for final approval of the House settlement is July 1, there’s growing skepticism that it will curtail all the problems within the college sports landscape.

By shifting liability to the NCAA, Tennessee lawmakers are allowing in-state schools to work toward that assumed future without fear of facing legal repercussions.

They aren’t the only state to enact protections, with Louisiana recently joining the charge with an executive order granting schools the ability to directly pay athletes for NIL.

However, Tennessee might offer the strongest shield, as reported by Adam Sparks of the Knoxville News Sentinel (subscription required) based on analysis by NIL expert and sports attorney Mit Winter.

“This Tennessee law goes further than the others because it was specifically drafted in a way that says schools in the state of Tennessee and their athletes don’t have to adhere to any restrictions on NIL compensation, except in certain limited circumstances,” Winter said.

Now, unlike some universities that may have concerns, those in Tennessee can operate without worrying about becoming defendants.

There is a lot going on in college football. USC is trying to regain their place in the sport in terms of modern-day contexts. In terms of historical significance and the power of the Trojan emblem, the university continues to be a top school in the NCAA. Only the record as of late has not matched that of some of the past teams that have walked through the Coliseum.

An excellent example of a familiar face from a past, more successful era is LenDale White. The former running back won back-to-back titles and was on the team that came close to achieving a three-peat.

The retired player sat down with The Coach JB and Big Smitty Show and discussed part of why he joined USC and why he believes the Trojans are close to being annual contenders again.

For White, he knew that the power and connection of being a member of the USC football team would go further than anywhere else. Not to mention that he played on a roster that had an embarrassment of riches in the RB room alone.

From Joe McKnight to Reggie Bush, USC brought in top talent at all positions and was the force to be reckoned with on a national level.

While the program has taken a sizable dip since the days of coach Pete Carroll, White believes that there is a resurgence happening now under coach Lincoln Riley. According to him, it starts with the current recruiting classes and how the staff is winning those battles. It won’t be too long before the future wins also translate to increases in the win column.

White did discuss an important difference between when he was a player and now. NIL gets a lot of attention, but the transfer portal affects the relationship with players in a different way between them and their schools.

As mentioned, White played in a great position group room. In today’s era, most likely, many would have sought the door after the first season or had flipped on a commitment once finding out who their teammates would be.

Certainly, there are positive cases of the transfer portal, and athletes have benefitted from this newfound freedom. It does, however, give a bad look when the only apparent reason for transferring out is due to lack of initial playing time or fear of competition at the same position.

Important distinction mentioned by former USC player

That’s something that was not as readily an option back in the day compared to now. Again, all circumstances have individual factors to consider. There is something to be said for sticking with a program and fighting for a spot and earning playing time after learning and working behind the scenes.

One advantage that older players have compared to now, as White mentioned, is that when he returns to Los Angeles, he is unquestionably a Trojan. That isn’t to bemoan those who transfer for a season and find themselves in a good situation. It should be something of a stronger consideration point for all athletes as to the why when deciding to move to a different school.

Players like White have a legacy and are immortalized at USC forever. It feels different when comparing those who hop around, changing their school colors every semester.  

Coach Martin Ingelsby has built Delaware into a solid program; after a tough regular season, the Blue Hens moved into the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament and won four games in a row before losing a tough 76-72 decision to UNC Wilmington in the championship. Delaware moves into Conference USA on July 1. Coach Ingelsby discusses his ideas on how to rebuild as the Blue Hens are a program that builds quality players.

Topics of Conversation Include:

• Winning the 4 games to get into the CAA Championship Final
• The impacts of the move to Conference USA
• Bringing over Providence transfer Justyn Fernandez and former Temple Owl Jameel Brown
• The return of Cavan Reilly for a fourth season

… and much more!