SC Senate overrides McMaster veto of NIL bill, officially making it law

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The South Carolina Senate overrode Gov. Henry McMaster’s veto of a bill that would keep schools’ NIL payments and contracts private on Wednesday.

The Senate voted 30-12, the minimum number of yes votes, to override McMaster’s veto. The House had previously voted to override the veto 88-22 on March 25.

The bill shields college athletes’ name, image and likeness contracts from South Carolina Freedom of Information Act requests.

After the House passed the bill in February, its passage in the Senate was temporarily stalled over claims that colleges were using state funding for NIL and revenue-sharing payments.

However, athletic directors from Clemson University, the University of South Carolina and Coastal Carolina University said this was not the case.

Clemson University Athletic Director Graham Neff testified that no appropriated state funds have been used.

“I want to state this plainly — no appropriated state funds have been used to make NIL payments or revenue-sharing payments to Clemson student-athletes,” Neff said.

Supporters of the bill have said that if these contracts became public, it could put South Carolina schools at a competitive disadvantage.

“Especially in the South, there are hundreds of thousands of people attending football games,” House Majority Leader Davey Hiott, R-Pickens, said. “We’ve got to make sure they’re competitive so the people of South Carolina are proud of their sports programs.”

McMaster has long been outspoken about his opposition to the bill and said in his veto message that the bill “presents a conflict between serious concerns and a clear principle.”

“On the one hand are privacy rights of student-athletes and the competitive interests of our state’s collegiate athletics teams. On the other hand, is the right of the people to know how public funds are being spent,” he said in his veto message.

It is unclear when this law will officially take effect.

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