California threw down the gauntlet, with Gov. Gavin Newsom signing into law the Fair Pay to Play Act, allowing collegiate athletes to collect endorsement money. The law, is slated to begin in January 2023, and makes it illegal for schools to prevent an athlete from earning money by selling the rights to his or her name, image or likeness to outside bidders. “”It’s going to change college sports for the better by having now the interest, finally, of the athletes on par with the interests of the institutions,” Newsom said in a tweeted video. “Now we’re rebalancing that power arrangement.”
The NCAA responded by saying that the org would continue its effort to monitor make adjustments to its rules “that are both realistic in modern society and tied to higher education.” “We will consider next steps in California while our members move forward with ongoing efforts to make adjustments to NCAA name, image and likeness rules that are both realistic in modern society and tied to higher education,” the NCAA said in a statement. “As more states consider their own specific legislation related to this topic, it is clear that a patchwork of different laws from different states will make unattainable the goal of providing a fair and level playing field for 1,100 campuses and nearly half a million student-athletes nationwide.”
Meanwhile, the Pac-12, which houses four teams in the state, also came out against the legistlation, noting “The Pac-12 is disappointed in the passage of SB 206 and believes it will have very significant negative consequences for our student-athletes and broader universities in California. This legislation will lead to the professionalization of college sports and many unintended consequences related to this professionalism, imposes a state law that conflicts with national rules, will blur the lines for how California universities recruit student-athletes and compete nationally, and will likely reduce resources and opportunities for student-athletes in Olympic sports and have a negative disparate impact on female student-athletes.”
