What is NIL? What is included in Gov. Andy Beshear's executive order?
Kentucky officially has its own name, image and likeness executive order in place and set to go into effect on July 1, after Gov. Andy Beshear issued an executive order Thursday afternoon. His executive order will give athletes at Kentucky universities an opportunity to make money off endorsements based on their name, image and likeness, often referred to as NIL. "Todays step was done in cooperation with all of our public universities as well as leadership of both parties, Beshear said in a news release on Thursday. This action ensures we are not at a competitive disadvantage in recruiting, and also that our student athletes have the same rights and opportunities as those in other states. For any individual athlete, their name, image and likeness are their own and no one elses.  Eight states have NIL laws scheduled to go into effect on July 1. Beshear's executive order will do the same and was met with support from University of Louisville administrators and coaches as many came out with comments after the announcement. On behalf of our student athletes at the University of Louisville, we are incredibly grateful for Gov. Beshears executive order allowing them to earn compensation based on their name, image and likeness, U of L athletic director Vince Tyra said in a press release. Bringing the state of Kentucky into competitive balance with other states across the country and, more specifically, the Atlantic Coast Conference is critical. The collaboration with legislative leadership in Frankfort is welcome and needed in leveling the playing field for our institutions and, more important, for our student athletes.  University of Kentucky officials, like athletic director Mitch Barnhart, and multiple coaches also put out statements. "Todays executive order from the Governor provides us the flexibility we need at this time to further develop policies around name, image and likeness (NIL), Barnhart said. We are appreciative of that support as it is a bridge until such time as state and/or federal laws are enacted. The landscape of college sports is now in the midst of dramatic and historic change  perhaps the biggest set of shifts and changes since scholarships were first awarded decades ago. What wont change is our core and most important principle  the well-being and development of our student athletes, while they are at UK and, as importantly, in preparing them for success in life, on whatever path they choose. We are extremely well-positioned to help our student athletes navigate this new and complex terrain. Much of what we need to do to support students in terms of NIL  through The Kentucky Road initiative  has been in place for some time. We have a strong foundation, which we will now work to build on.  While there's still more questions to be answered as Tyra will host a press conference at 12:30 p.m. and Barnhart will hold one at 2 p.m., here's what we know as of Friday morning. The NIL discussion began in 2019 when California passed what was known as the Fair Pay to Play act. That law, which is set to go into effect on July 1, 2023, allows college athletes to earn endorsements and sponsorships without being punished by their university or having their scholarships revoked. Related Coverage:John Calipari unwilling to take a side in California Fair Pay to Play law debate  That forced other states, and the NCAA, to look at NIL legislation. That legislation allows athletes to make money off their name, image and likeness without punishment from the university. Kentucky now joins Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas with legislation that will take effect July 1. Beshear's executive order also puts definitions on what "name," "image" and "likeness" are. "Name" refers to the order as first or last name or the nickname of the student-athlete. "Image" is referred to as a picture of the athlete. "Likeness" is referred to as a physical, digital or other depiction or representation of the student-athlete. The latest NIL legislation means that all Kentucky college athletes will be able to profit off their own images. It also means that Kentucky universities are prohibited from telling a student-athlete they can't earn compensation for the use of their name, image and likeness while enrolled at the university or from obtaining a certified agent. Still, there are restrictions outlined in Beshear's order that we'll discuss next. While Beshear's order allows student-athletes to make money off their name, image and likeness, there are exceptions to those rules. One key exception noted in the order is compensation in exchange for a contract of endorsement, promotion or other activity that the university determines is in conflict with an existing contract of endorsement, promotional or other activity by the university. In other words, if a Louisville athlete wanted to be in a Nike advertisement, they wouldn't be allowed because Louisville is an Adidas school. Other exceptions include the following:  Compensation by, arranged by, or at the direction of the universities or organizations that support or benefit the universities or another athletic authority, officer, director, employee or agent for the use of an athlete's name, image and likeness. Simply stated, compensation can't be arranged by the university. Universities can create "reasonable" limitations for dates and times that an athlete may participate in endorsements, promotional, social media or other activities related to name, image and likeness agreements or contracts, as well as contracts the school determines are "incompatible or detrimental" to the image of the university, including the promotion of alcohol, tobacco products, firearms or sexually-oriented activities. Louisville and Kentucky both have partnerships with Opendorse. A social media branding company that was started with the NIL in mind to help athletes build their brands on social media and understand what works and doesn't work to help them reach the largest amount of fans. Kentucky also released its "Kentucky Road" program last week after an athletics committee meeting. Kentucky Road is a program dedicated to assisting athletes in the new NIL era. The next milestone for the NIL discussions in Louisville is Friday. Both Louisville and Kentucky will hold press conferences, separately, to discuss the latest news and what each university is doing to prepare for the NIL changes coming on July 1. After that, once July 1 hits, athletes will likely be tasked with making more decisions on their futures as it pertains to their name, image and likeness. This story will be updated. Cameron Teague Robinson CTeagueRob@gannett.com; Twitter: @cj_teague;