By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
It was inevitable.
The NCAA decided to take a step Tuesday to allow college sports athletes to make money off their endorsements, names and likeness.
The 21st century is now 19 years old, but the NCAA Board of Governors thought it might be time to get in tune with the times.
Don’t take it from me. Here’s the NCAA’s own statement about the 21st century:
“The Board of Governors’ action directs each of the NCAA’s three divisions to immediately consider updates to relevant bylaws and policies for the 21st century, said Michael V. Drake, chair of the board and president of The Ohio State University.”
It’s time to embrace change, Drake said.
“We must embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes,” 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.”
The Board of Governors did say that let’s not go too wild. Here are the pointers and parameters, the board said:
- Assure student-athletes are treated similarly to non-athlete students unless a compelling reason exists to differentiate.
- Maintain the priorities of education and the collegiate experience to provide opportunities for student-athlete success.
- Ensure rules are transparent, focused and enforceable and facilitate fair and balanced competition.
- Make clear the distinction between collegiate and professional opportunities.
- Make clear that compensation for athletics performance or participation is impermissible.
- Reaffirm that student-athletes are students first and not employees of the university.
- Enhance principles of diversity, inclusion and gender equity.
- Protect the recruiting environment and prohibit inducements to select, remain at, or transfer to a specific institution.
Changes by the NCAA are inevitable because the governing board of big-time college sports has always ruled university athletics and the forces of equity have been at play as a counter for decades.
Remember when the NCAA controlled TV college sports with an iron fist. The colleges and TV networks fought back to take their share of the revenue pie.
The history of reform is at play here, too, as the NCAA finally understood that it could not stop states starting with California from enacting legislation that would allow university athletes a chance to make money off their likeness and names while a college sports athlete. Other states were preparing legislation similar to the law adopted by California. The NCAA and its board saw the writing on the walls of state capitals.
“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,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said. “The board’s action today creates a path to enhance opportunities for student-athletes while ensuring they compete against students and not professionals.”
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