NCAA's Landmark Vote Will Allow Athletes To Profit Off of Names and Likenesses
With many of the details yet to be worked out, the NCAA crossed a major boundary on Tuesday by voting to begin the process that will allow college athletes to make money off of their names.
The NCAA’s long-standing position against athletes making a profit off their names began to crumble last month when California, backed by NBA superstar LeBron James, passed a law that barred colleges from punishing athletes who cut endorsement deals.
That law will take effect in 2023.
On Tuesday, the NCAA’s board approved a rule change that will eventually allow college athletes to make money off of their names, likenesses and images “in a manner consistent with the collegiate model,” ESPN reported
The vote began a process in which each of the NCAA’s three divisions will determine how that concept can be applied while still keeping a line between professional and college sports.
Board members said they want college athletes have equal opportunities to profit as other students, though they emphasized that education should still be the top priority of attending college.
The NCAA wants the new rules to be in place by January 2021.
“We must embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes,” board chair Michel Drake said.
“Additional flexibility in this area can and must continue to support college sports as a part of higher education. This modernization for the future is a natural extension of the numerous steps NCAA members have taken in recent years to improve support for student-athletes, including full cost of attendance and guaranteed scholarships,” he said.
The NCAA did say its model will not be the same as the one implemented in California, which puts virtually no restrictions on athletes.
However, it could face pressure if Congress passes a bill sponsored by Republican Rep. Mark Walker of North Carolina, who is proposing a profit model for college athletes that would put no restrictions on players seeking endorsements.
The downside of the change was expressed by Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir in his opposition to the California law.
“Allowing student-athletes to receive compensation from their name, image, and likeness, would present serious challenges for higher education institutions and to the collegiate sports model,” Muir said in a letter to lawmakers, The Stanford Daily reported.
NCAA president Mark Emmert, however, said the NCAA will keep the right balance.
“As a national governing body, the NCAA is uniquely positioned to modify its rules to ensure fairness and a level playing field for student-athletes,” he said in a statement, according to NPR.
“The board’s action today creates a path to enhance opportunities for student-athletes while ensuring they compete against students and not professionals.”
Ramogi Huma, president of the National College Players Association, is skeptical, NBC News reported.
Huma is concerned the NCAA will try to limit the income an athlete can earn.
“They’ll be looking at ways to narrow what players can have as use for their ‘benefit,'” Huma said “They could possibly try to ban cash as a benefit.”
Huma said his group will continue to urge states to adopt the California model, creating a possible collision course between state lawmakers and the NCAA.
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