Ricky Bobby once famously said, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.”

While the fictional driver was referencing racing, the same could be applied to recruiting in the SEC footprint.

That’s proven to be the case when it comes to name, image, and likeness as Florida set a standard that Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Missouri have quickly followed, and now we can add another state to the list as Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has signed a bill moving up his state’s NIL bill from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2021.

Lee made the decision to sign the bill on Tuesday night.

If you are still wrapping your head around name, image, and likeness, college athletes will soon be able to profit from endorsements. They will not be getting paid by schools to play football.

The way the laws are written, the endorsements athletes are permitted to accept cannot be used during the recruiting purposes.

Good luck enforcing that one, NCAA.