The NCAA board of directors recently passed a bill that will allow student-athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness.  The NCAA met in Atlanta to create rules for this that will be passed in January 2021.

This movement of the bill came to life when California passed the Fair Pay to Play Act which would let athletes have endorsement deals and be able to sign with agents starting in 2023.

Earlier in the month, the NCAA sent a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsome saying that the ¨Fair Pay to Play Act¨ was not fair to the rest of college sports in other states.

The NCAA knew that they were going to have to act fast to counter this. The process is a very tough issue that needed to be fixed from each of the 1100 members of the NCAA.

“Figuring out all the details of it, it’s going to be a challenge. It’s a much more complex issue than people see it as,” Emmert said.  (Steve Almasy, CNN)

There are still details and issues they have to work out before the bill passes, but they have plenty of time before January 2021 comes around.

Athletes still won’t be able to be paid to play or have things paid by them from the university.  The athletes are still not employees of the university.

This is a huge swing from how the NCAA used to feel about student-athletes being paid. They have changed for the better and are starting to allow more freedom for players to make money from their image.

Of course, there are already some restrictions. For example, athletes won’t be able to sign contracts that counteract their school’s contract. If a certain school was Nike, then the player wouldn’t be able to switch over and sign with another company like Addidas.

Thanks to all the state’s efforts, we are getting closer to the end goal.