NCAA board moves toward allowing student-athlete paid endorsements
‘’(Credit: NCAA)‘’The NCAA is a step closer to allowing student-athletes to be paid for endorsements and promotions.
According to an NCAA press release, the Board of Governors supported rule changes at its meeting this week to allow student-athletes to be paid for third-party endorsements both related to and separate from sports, as well as compensation for opportunities that include social media, businesses they have started, and personal appearances.
While student-athletes would be allowed to identify themselves by sport and school, the use of conference and school logos, trademarks, or other involvement would still be prohibited. The board also banned universities and colleges from paying student-athletes for their names, images, and likenesses.
The board directed all three divisions to consider appropriate rules changes based on recommendations from its Federal and State Legislation Working Group.
“Throughout our efforts to enhance support for college athletes, the NCAA has relied upon considerable feedback from and the engagement of our members, including numerous student-athletes, from all three divisions,” said Michael V. Drake, chair of the board and president of Ohio State. “Allowing promotions and third-party endorsements is uncharted territory.”
The board’s recommendations now will move to the rules-making structure in each of the NCAA’s three divisions for further consideration. The divisions are expected to adopt new name, image, and likeness rules by January to take effect at the start of the 2021-22 academic year.
“The NCAA’s work to modernize name, image and likeness continues, and we plan to make these important changes on the original timeline, no later than January 2021,” said Gene Smith, Ohio State senior vice president and athletics director and working group co-chair. “The board’s decision today provides further guidance to each division as they create and adopt appropriate rules changes.”
