College athletes now able to earn money off their name and public image
Written by Nakia Cooper on July 6, 2021
The NCAA approved a law allowing college athletes to profit off their name and public image. The approval came just a few days after the Division I Council recommended that athletes in every state should be able to earn money without putting their college eligibility in danger.
The lift on previous restrictions of financially compensating athletes for sponsorship deals, online endorsements, and personal appearances affects almost 460,000 athletes in all three divisions.
The NCAA is also now allowing athletes to partner with agents.
“This is an important day for college athletes since they are all now able to take advantage of name, image and likeness opportunities,” said NCAA President Mark Emmert. “With the variety of state laws adopted across the country, we will continue to work with Congress to develop a solution that will provide clarity on a national level.”
More than 10 states had laws going into effect on Thursday that would undermine previous NCAA rules. Without NCAA intervention, athletes in some states would be eligible for compensation while athletes in others would be prohibited and in danger of breaking NCAA rules.
The NCAA’s new law comes almost two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against them in a case involving education-related benefits.
