ESPN college basketball personality Jay Bilas might be one of the smartest minds in all of collegiate sports coverage. It’s why so many outlets run to him for comment whenever something off the hardwood is happening.

With SB206 being signed, a name, image and likeness bill that allows players to profit off their NIL, it’s not exactly a shock that he has new comments coming out.

“It would benefit almost every sport,” Jay Bilas told the News-Gazette about NIL bills.

“(Illinois has) a bunch of players, especially in that market, that have value,” Bilas said. “You go into any bar or restaurant in the greater Champaign-Urbana area, and what do they have on the walls? They’ve got Illinois stuff. They’ve got pictures of players and autographs. Of course there are opportunities there.”

One of the counter arguments to NIL bills is about how it only helps a few players, but Bilas obviously doesn’t believe that to be the case. He sees value in the local market for student-athletes who aren’t just playing in the big time money sports.

“With the explosion of social media and the digital front, there are all kinds of platforms on which money can be earned,” he said. “You can have softball players, soccer players, you name it, especially in the local markets.”

Obviously, it’s mostly conjecture on both sides of the argument at this point. Time will tell, as it always does, how this eventually plays out.

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