Senate Education Committee advances NIL bill allowing institutional payments to student athletes, rejects disclosure amendment

The Colorado Senate Education Committee voted to send House Bill 10 41 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation and placement on the consent calendar after a multi-hour hearing that featured university officials, legal counsel, journalists and open‑records advocates.

Senator Coleman, the bill’s prime sponsor, told the committee HB 10 41 is intended to update Colorado law so institutions can “compensate a student athlete for the use of the student athlete's name, image, or likeness” and to align state law with recent national changes following an antitrust ruling in October 2024 and an expected settlement later this year. Coleman said the bill builds on prior state work on athlete compensation and includes reporting and privacy guardrails agreed with stakeholders.

Supporters from the University of Colorado and Colorado State University argued the change is necessary to keep campuses competitive and to protect student athletes’ privacy and safety. Rick George, athletic director at CU Boulder, testified that the bill “allows CU, CSU, and other Colorado universities to…