The new rule will allow college athletes to make a living on the sport they play through sponsorship’s, merchandise and jersey sales. A California law is allowing the athletes to hire agents to be more marketable and to profit from college. In Illinois, New York, and Florida, the new regulations will be kicking off a nationwide movement to grant athletes more financial freedom in their expensive college lives.
The NCAA has been unclear on a few parts of the new ruling such as an official date when the regulations will go into effect, however experts speculate 2023 is when it will go into play. The NCAA board of directors define the new rule as “ consistent with the collegiate model”, which is not a good indication given past scandals regarding athletes and money. The large amount of support from pro athletes and congress alike may finally be the pushing point for the NCAA to open the door for the millions in profits to be shared with the young athletes who the fans pile in seats to see.
For fans, it can be quite exciting knowing that buying merchandise and jerseys could personally help support their favorite athletes. It will depend on the legislation to follow in the coming months, but with such a large support system it is hard to think laws are not trending in a positive way for all college athletes. In addition, this can open the door for the NCAA series to bring Madden and Fifa games into play. The games could also be a great stream of revenue for the athletes.
Many fans and athletes may be wondering what was hindering this process to implement new regulations to support the college players. Experts imply the simple answer is money, the NCAA is a billion dollar company. Allowing athletes a piece of the pie would result in the drastic decrease in profits they earn per year. Many former college players argue that those profits should go to the students who create them through interest in their respective sports.
The side that favors athletes is spearheaded by some very powerful people like Lebron James, Bernie Sanders, and Andrew Yang. Sanders and Yang are both presidential candidates with strong ties to congress members to likely further push the NCAA’s hand in allowing a pay to play system across the country. The NCAA has had little support in recent years as they are often viewed as an archaic and overly powerful company that needs checks and balances. Lawmakers seem in large support of their young athletes getting their due diligence and protection during their college years and beyond.
