College athletes cash in on Day 1 of NIL era

The first day of the NIL era got off to rip-roaring start. Deals were made, money was exchanged, and total chaos ensued as a century-old American institution crumbled and began anew.

What's happening: A lot. Here's a sampling of the news from Thursday.

• NCAA Football: Electronic Arts is exploring the "possibility of including players" in its beloved college football video game that disappeared in 2014, a company rep tells Axios.
• Barstool Athletes: Barstool Sports is offering the title of "Barstool Athlete" and free merchandise to athletes they want to sponsor. The idea came together at the last minute, but they've already signed a big name: Villanova star point guard Collin Gillespie.
• Package deal: Arkansas WR Trey Knox and his dog "Blue" signed a deal with PetSmart.
• Paid gigs: Marshall football player Will Ulmer can now earn money playing live country music shows — and no longer has to use the alias "Lucky Bill."
• Now on Cameo: Iowa State QB Brock Purdy and RB Breece Hall joined Cameo, the personalized video service.

The state of play: 27 states have passed NIL laws and 16 are already in effect. The NCAA has instructed schools in states without NIL laws to craft their own rules.

• Bill passed, effective July 1: Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas
• Bill passed, not yet effective: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri (awaiting governor signature), Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee
• Awaiting governor signature: Missouri
• Bill introduced: Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia
• No bill introduced: Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming