Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signs NIL law that will have a massive effect on college sports in the Commonwealth

The college sports world has turned into a landscape where NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) is becoming bigger and bigger. In the state of Virginia, colleges and universities were behind the game with schools in other states, but Thursday, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin changed the future of college sports in the Commonwealth.

Youngkin signed an NIL Bill into law that will allow schools in Virginia to directly play their student athlete for NIL starting July 1. Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock, football coach Brent Pry, and women's lacrosse coach Kristen Skiera were in attendance when Youngkin signed the bill into law. Following the bill being signed, Babcock and Pry were thankful to Youngkin and the state legislatures for getting it done.

"We are thankful to the state legislature and Governor Youngkin for their proactive work in the NIL space. We take care of our student-athletes and recognize the value they bring to ensure the longstanding success of our athletic programs.

Not only does this position us more competitively among other states during this critical time, but it also allows for more school involvement as we continue to enhance our recruiting and retention efforts to bring the most talented student-athletes to Virginia Tech."

- Whit Babcock

"I commend our state leaders for their proactive work in the evolution of college athletics. This positions us favorably and competitively at a critical time. The bill is a win-win for our school, our student-athletes and our donors."

- Brent Pry

This will be big beginning this summer when Virginia universities will have NIL at their disposal when recruiting athletes from other schools. Virginia joins Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Louisiana, and Missouri with NIL. Don't overlook the fact that this is also big in the retainment of coaches down the line if someone wants to grab a Virginia Tech with a NIL advantage already.