Nebraska universities would be able to pay athletes name, image and likeness compensation directly under a bill heard Monday afternoon in a legislative committee. Last year, former college athletes brought a case against the NCAA claiming that it unfairly restricted them from profiting from NIL. The NCAA agreed to a nearly $3 billion settlement, allowing universities to pay current and former athletes the money they may have missed out on. But current Nebraska law prohibits universities from directly paying NIL compensation to athletes.