BY: Brandon Barker
For years, people have been saying that student athletes should be paid, but there has not been much action until now. There is a bill in California that will make it legal for student athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness. Although the bill will not go into effect until 2023, college sports recruit and schedule games years ahead of time. This will give schools in California a strategic advantage ahead of other states who have not passed this bill.
This is a big deal for college sports, and it could change how we look at the NCAA. In 2013, NCAA video games were discontinued because of numerous legal cases concerning use of likeness and image. In 2015, there was a $60 million settlement that was considered a win for many former student athletes who were not compensated.
Some players were on commercials, video game covers, and more, and did not receive a penny of profit. There is a split in opinion between players, coaches, schools, and political officials on whether student athletes should be paid or not. Everyone has an opinion, which makes this a difficult decision.
California’s bill is called the “Fair Pay for Play Act,” which also allows players to receive sponsorships and not be penalized by schools. The bill has been sent to the Governor’s office, but he has not accepted or denied it yet. California is not the only state with this kind of bill as of recently. New York has adopted the same type of bill that builds upon the one California proposed.
New York’s bill will require schools to distribute 15% of income from ticket sales to student athletes evenly. Their proposed bill is called the “New York Collegiate Athletic Participation Compensation Act.” The next question is: How are smaller schools going to pay student athletes the same as larger schools? Are NCAA Division 2 and 3 schools going to pay student athletes as well?
There could be numerous other states adopting the same type of bill, but many want to see the effects of these two before taking any more steps.