A new “Pay to Play” bill has been signed into law to allow college football players to receive endorsement money. Despite only starting in 2023, the controversial bill is already ruffling feathers. Legalized sports betting could also be affected by Senate Bill 206. Moreover, universities will no longer eb able to punish players who accept compensation for the use of their names, images and likeness. Currently, the NCAA bars any student athletes from earning money from sports participation.
Both the Assembly and Senate allowed the bill to pass, despite protests from the NCAA. Of course, this is just the start for legislators, since there are a few details to hammer out. Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced the bill, and believes that players should benefit as much as colleges from their participation. According to the Governor, the bill will put an end to the “bankrupt model” benefitting colleges who earn billions. Meanwhile, the student players don’t get a single dollar.
Pay to Play & Sports Betting
The NCAA’s opposition was ignored, as the bill passed without a single “no” vote. On their website, the collegiate sports’ authority claims that they oppose all forms of sports betting. However, their stance on the students earning money is considered hypocritical. Their guiding priorities claim to push academics, well-being, and fairness while denying the students’ rights to their own images.
Many star athletes struggle with money if they come from a poorer background. While colleges and the NCAA profit off of them happily. Quite a few celebrities are supporting the Pay to Play initiative, most notably LeBron James. He claims that his decision to skip college and play for the NBA was a lack of funds due to current rules. He believes that the bill will “help student athletes in similar situations”.
State Laws in Focus
Since the Senate has passed the bill, other states could consider similar amendments to benefit students. Michael McCann of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute at the University of New Hampshire believes that it is possible. He claims that the approach to student players’ identity rights would motivate new laws he compares to sports betting.
An argument for Pay to Play intones that allowing collegiate athletes to be endorsed could lessen bribery. Of course, the NCAA doesn’t think so and claims that it will create an unfair playing field.
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