Swinney, Beamer, Beck advocate for S.C. NIL bill
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney, South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer and Coastal Carolina football coach Tim Beck all came together at the Statehouse to urge lawmakers to pass a law allowing their schools to directly compensate their athletes.
The call for name, image and likeness legislation came Tuesday in a South Carolina House education committee hearing. It passed unanimously after the committee started the meeting with a group photo — coaches in the front and lawmakers in the back. The bill now goes to the House floor; the Senate hasn’t taken up the matter yet.
The three football coaches were joined by more than a dozen from other sports. They packed the hearing room, and South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley and men’s basketball coach Lamont Paris prowled the halls of the House’s office building to meet with legislators before the meeting started.
The bill would overhaul a law passed a few years ago when name, image and likeness laws were just starting. It would allow universities to work with companies or others who want to make NIL offers. The school could also evaluate the deals and give advice to athletes. It is similar to proposals in other states that also are trying to go around the NCAA.
“We have been limited in our NIL involvement through the ever-changing guidance from the NCAA, and that has left our student-athletes trying to figure out much of this on their own — navigating complex NIL opportunities without trained guidance,” Swinney told the committee.
Beamer thanked lawmakers for their consideration, saying passing the bill was vital to keep teams in the state competitive. Republican House Education and Public Works Committee chair Shannon Erickson, of Beaufort, rattled off the nearly dozen national titles won by coaches at the meeting or seen earlier in the day in football, women’s basketball, men’s soccer, equestrian and baseball.
“It is something we deal with daily. It is also ever-changing, daily. This law would give us stability and flexibility,” Beamer said.
The bill is also needed for lesser-known, smaller teams, Coastal Carolina women’s basketball coach Kevin Pederson said.
On his team, one player gets a few smoothies through her deal and a second gets bathing suits. The law would allow the school to work for better deals for all.
“They need an advocate who loves them the way I love them. They need an advocate who will push for them the way I push for them,” Pederson said.
The outcome was certain before the gavel came down to open the meeting. Republican Rep. April Cromer from Anderson walked up to Swinney and shook his hand.
“This might not have been necessary. We were going to pass it anyway,” she said as Swinney, Beamer and Beck all laughed.
Tulane coach Jon Sumrall has emerged as the clear favorite to be the next head coach of the Florida Gators, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Florida turned its attention away from Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin earlier this week after getting the sense through irregular communication that he is interested in other options, likely a move to LSU or remaining with the Rebels, sources told ESPN on Friday.
Sumrall is expected to make a decision on his future by Sunday morning as he considers staying at Tulane or a move to Gainesville. He also received significant interest from Auburn, but the Tigers have since shifted their focus to other candidates, another indicator that Florida looms as the clear leader for Sumrall’s services, sources said.
Sumrall, a former SEC player at Kentucky, where he later served as an assistant coach and co-defensive coordinator, is 18-7 in two seasons at Tulane. He also won back-to-back Sun Belt titles as head coach at Troy in 2022 and 2023.
Sumrall, 43, garnered outside interest after his first season with Tulane, earning a contract extension after just one season at the helm.
Tulane (9-2) hosts Charlotte on Saturday night in its regular-season finale. The Green Wave can clinch a spot in the American Conference championship game against North Texas with a win over the 49ers.
Rivalry Week has already seen one upset that will affect a conference championship and College Football Playoff seeding. Could we see another one?
On Friday, Texas upset the Texas A&M Aggies to give A&M its first loss of the season and knock the Aggies out of the SEC championship game. Michigan is in a strikingly similar position. Ohio State is undefeated and No. 1 in the CFP rankings. It needs a win to set up a meeting with Indiana in next week’s Big Ten title game.
OSU has been largely unchallenged since defeating Texas in Week 1, and now it faces its biggest rival, which is hasn’t beaten in four years. Can the Wolverines pull another upset? It’s “The Game,” and we’re tracking the top moments and biggest plays:
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