In late September, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that granted collegiate athletes in the state the ability to make money off their likeness.
The bill caused a rift, contradicting a long-held policy of the NCAA. It challenged the organization’s policy regarding the status of amateur athletes. The NCAA only allowed players to be compensated with a scholarship, never with money.
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The law in California isn’t set to come into effect until 2023.
Tuesday afternoon, the Associated Press reported that the NCAA Board of Governors voted in favor of athletes being able to generate money off their status and likeness while attending their university. The article stated that the NCAA would like to avoid any legal issues with states, such as California, that are passing legislation that contradicts NCAA rules and regulations.
The announcement came following the board’s meeting at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. The board set a deadline for the organization to establish all the necessary rules and regulations in compliance with state laws. The deadline is January 2021, which should allow the NCAA time to revise and shift their rules.
The NCAA must now figure out how to allow athletes to profit — something they have fought against doing for years — while still maintaining rules regarding amateurism, according to the AP.
While the board did vote for the athletes to profit off their status, there are still many conflicting laws and structures that must be worked out. Many policies need to be altered to establish how the new rule will fit with recruitment practices and how it will permit athletes to hire their agents, which also conflicts with current NCAA rules. Compensation guidelines still need to be established as well, such as how much of a cut the athletes deserve.
In an NCAA statement, Michael V. Drake, president of Ohio State University and the board’s chairman, said, “We must embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes.”
Ryan Loberger can be reached at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @Lobergerryan.
