Sports Illustrated - 21.10.2019

N THE last day of September, California

governor Gavin Newsom officially

ushered college sports into a new era.

Signing into law Senate Bill 206, known as the

Fair Pay to Play Act, from a barbershop chair

on the set of LeBron James’s show, The Shop,

Newsom granted college athletes in his state the

opportunity to profit off their name, image and

likeness, beginning in 2023. They will be able to

sign with agents and earn endorsement money

as students, which is expressly forbidden by the

NCAA’s bylaws preserving amateurism.

But the Golden State is not alone. Legislators

in New York, Florida and Illinois have already

proposed similar bills while a half-dozen other

states plan to follow suit. Meanwhile, members

of Congress are eyeing a federal statute along the

same lines. There is bipartisan support.

The NCAA and the Pac-12 have unsurprisingly

released stern statements opposing the California

bill’s passage. “This is just a new form of

professionalism and a different way of converting

students into employees,” NCAA president Mark

Emmert told The Indianapolis Star.

In May the NCAA formed a working group to

examine issues related to compensating athletes.

The group is scheduled to present a report later

this month. Several administrators who spoke

to Sports Illustr ated on the condition of

anonymity do not expect the group to propose

a system that allows athletes access to the free

market, as the California bill does. Instead, the

report is expected to suggest a plan that focuses on

group licensing agreements—distributing money

from apparel sales and such to players.

“It’s like anything else—it’s never going to

be enough,” says an administrator with direct

knowledge of the working group’s discussions.

The administrator said that schools are

concerned that boosters, in an effort to convince

high-profile athletes to attend, will promise

lucrative endorsement deals to recruits. That could

severely exacerbate the gap between the haves and

the have-nots, says one administrator. “This is great

for us,” says an SEC staff member, “but if this thing

goes through, it’s going to destroy Conference USA,

the [Mid-American Conference], etc.”

Coaches are torn on the issue. Many have side-

stepped questions, offered partial support for the

movement or subtly denounced it. And then there’s

Washington State football coach Mike Leach. “The

state of California has trouble keeping [its] streets

clean right now,” he said. “So my thought is that

[it] probably ought to focus on that.”

Leach is set to make $3.75 million this season;

his players will, once again, make nothing.

Michael McCann contributed to this report.

CALIFORNIA’S LAW

ALLOWING  COLLEGE ATHLETES

TO EARN MONEY OPENS

A  NEW  FRONTIER

WHAT’S

FA IR

16 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED | OCTOBER 21-28, 2019

I

SCORECARD

“

This is

great for

us,” says an

SEC staffer,

“but if this

thing goes

through,

it’s going

to destroy

Conference

USA, the

MAC, etc.

”

BY ROSS DELLENGER

UNINTERRUPTED

NEWSMAKERS