The top governing body of the NCAA announced on Wednesday that they are in favor of allowing players to sign their own endorsement deals. This announcement came as a result of a long study that looked into possible scenarios and solutions to a growing debate around college athletics.
The NCAA put together a group that was tasked with coming up with ways to modernize the organization, and looking at endorsement deals for players was one of the main topics. The group revealed that they are in favor of players signing other deals to earn money, but those deals cannot include money getting paid back to the school.
The group that was looking into the modernization of the NCAA presented their finding to the Board of Governors on Tuesday. This meeting was the annual meeting held by the Board, and there were several other topics also on the table.
It was unclear what the Board of Governors were going to think about the results of this study, but they announced on Wednesday morning that they are in full support of these recommendations. This would allow athletes to make money off of their likeness and image, which has been a major rules violation in the past.
There were several rule changes that were presented to the Board of Governors, but there were also some new regulations that were announced. One regulation would allow each school or institution to create laws as to what types of deals players would be able to sign while enrolling at the school.
Over the past decade, there has been plenty of support for NCAA athletes to get paid to play while enrolled in school. This plan would not force the schools to pay the athletes directly, but players would be able to seek out their own endorsement opportunities. Players would also be able to earn a profit off of jersey sales and promotional campaigns that are run by the school.
Changing Times
College football and men’s college basketball have seen players challenge the old rules in the last few years, and many of the top stars are choosing to either leave school early or play professional basketball instead of attending college. The NCAA recognized that something had to be done to save its brand and keep the entertainment value at a high.
The release from the NCAA announced that players would be able to appear in advertisements and sign endorsement deals, but their school logo cannot be used. Players can reference the school they attend and the sport that they play, but official school logos are prohibited from use.
Even though the Board of Governors is in favor of this new proposal, the rules will now go through the normal rulemaking process that is set forth by the bylaws of the NCAA. Member schools will now have a chance to offer feedback on the proposed changes over the next few months.
A new rule will have to be formally proposed by no later than October, and the NCAA Board will then take an official vote on the matter in January. There are still plenty of rules and language that will need to be sorted out before an official proposal is put on the table.
The organization will also be turning to the United States Congress for help in creating these new regulations, according to NCAA President Mark Emmert. Federal lawmakers have been creating laws regarding this topic over the last few years, and several recent bills prompted the NCAA to explore this issue.
Some states have already passed laws that will change how the NCAA is allowed to operate in their state. The NCAA has decided that they need to create new laws to continue to operate with the same rules throughout the country.
