A New Era Dawns In College Sports, As The NCAA Scrambles To ...

Soon, some college athletes can get money when using their name, image or likeness.A new era in college sports begins this week.Following Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's executive order allowing college athletes to be compensated for the use of their name, image and likeness — known by its abbreviation "NIL" — at least seven states will put into effect NIL laws, on Thursday. Especially after the recent Supreme Court decision weakened the NCAA's long held, but increasingly outdated, notion of amateurism in college sports.In 2019, California struck the first blow against the NCAA, in a very California way — a bill signing by Gov. Gavin Newsom on the set of Lebron James' HBO show, The Shop.The state's Fair Pay to Play Act, the first NIL bill, reflected the growing discontent about the NCAA's shaky ideal of amateurism, with so-called amateur athletes in the major sports generating vast revenues and not sharing in them.For the NCAA, California signaled the start of a problem. A state-by-state patchwork of NIL laws would create recruiting advantages — athletes choosing schools in states allowing NIL payments — and thus create competitive imbalance.Although critics say that imbalance has long existed in big time college sports.But the NCAA failed to come up with a one-size-fits all plan. And it now appears all athletes will be included.The NCAA's quick game of catch up has the organization finally positioned to offer NIL rights nationwide.Meetings last week led to the draft of an interim plan that, if approved, would take effect July 1.Under the plan, athletes in the states with laws going into effect will follow those laws; in states without laws, schools can create their own NIL policies.There still are prohibitions included in the NCAA's plan, including NIL compensation can't be tied to an athlete's performance — not allowing, for instance, more NIL money for more points scored. Particularly the African American athletes who comprise the majority of athletes in revenue-generating football and men's basketball.Bradford predicts the Supreme Court ruling has a lasting impact."I think it's just a matter of time," he said, "before the NCAA will have to divorce itself from regulating the economics of student athletes."For now, with its temporary NIL plan, the NCAA, which did not respond to a request for comment, is stepping back by allowing schools to create their own policies.