(1) All persons eighteen (18) years of age or older, if not otherwise disqualified, or prohibited by law, shall have the capacity to enter into binding contractual relationships affecting the use of their name, image or likeness while participating in intercollegiate sports as student-athletes. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect any contracts entered into prior to the effective date of this act.(2) In any legal action founded on a student-athlete name, image or likeness contract entered into by a person eighteen (18) years of age or older, the person may sue in his or her own name as an adult and be sued in his or her own name as an adult and be served with process as an adult.(3) For purposes of this section:
(a) “Intercollegiate sport” means a sport played at the collegiate level for which eligibility requirements for participation by a student-athlete are established by a national association for the promotion or regulation of collegiate athletics; and(b) “Student-athlete” means an individual who engages in, is eligible to engage in, or may be eligible in the future to engage in, any intercollegiate athletics program at a postsecondary educational institution. If an individual is permanently ineligible to participate in a particular intercollegiate sport, the individual is not a student-athlete for purposes of that sport.
