Aaron Murray saw first-hand how dramatically life has changed for college athletes.

“We had a little dinner in Athens, and oh my God, I’m handing these 19-to 22-year-olds checks for $28,000,” said Murray, the former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback who remains the SEC career leader in passing yards. “I was lucky to have a few hundred bucks in my bank account (during college).”

We’ve come a long way from the days when student-athletes were suspended for the infractions of cashing in on their name, image and likeness. New rules and laws have changed all of that.

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South Carolina State University head football coach Chennis Berry joined the team in 2023 after coaching at Benedict College, a historically Black college in Columbia, South Carolina. Last year, Berry's team saw its season end in heartbreak in the Celebration Bowl and this time, it ended in triumph with a 40-38 win. (Courtesy of South Carolina State Athletics)

Credit: South Carolina State University Athletics

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Students line up after school for school buses at Sequoyah Middle School in Doraville on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The school’s principal told teachers not to talk to students about ICE, and teachers and activists are pushing back. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com