Mississippi Governor Signs NIL Bill Into Law, Will Go Into Effect On July 1

Mississippi is moving forward with its effort to allow its student-athletes to be compensated for their name, image and likeness -- also known as NIL. A big step was taken in that direction on Wednesday, as Governor Tate Reeves signed a bill into law allowing just that.

According to a tweet from Dennis Dodd with CBS, Mississippi is now the second state -- joining Florida -- that has a bill going into effect on July 1. In total, seven states have passed such a law.

Interestingly enough, Ross Dellenger with SI Now recently did a piece on how state decisions could impact recruiting. With Florida and Mississippi looking to get a head start on NIL, what advantages will that give them?

"I don’t think any state is happy about this legislation, but we’re seeing this as a necessity,” says C. Scott Bounds, a Republican member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, via SI.com. "We don’t want to lose a competitive edge in recruiting, both athletically and academically, especially against those in the Southeastern Conference."

Now the big question will come down to power.

If states allow student-athletes to get paid, will their laws overrule the NCAA? The NCAA still forbids student-athletes from accepting compensation, so will those who take compensation become ineligible? Determining an answer to that question is probably the next step in this process.

In fact, this move could pave the way for a legal battle between the states and the NCAA.

Buckle up, folks.

Follow Clint Lamb on Twitter @ClintRLamb.