NCAA: Significant change on the horizon for players

With athletes pursuing alternatives to NCAA basketball, the association is finally supporting avenues for players to receive compensation.

At the NCAA’s April meeting, the group reported that they are backing a proposal that would allow players receive payment for the use of their name/likeness, endorsement deals, and social media. There is still much work to be done in establishing the groundwork for this decision, though officials are hopeful that there can be movement by 2021.

Per ESPN’s report on the release: “The NCAA's news release said athletes will be allowed to appear in advertisements and can reference their sport and school, but they would not be able to use school logos or branding in those advertisements.”

Several states, spearheaded by California, have already paved the way for player options such as these. The NCAA is expected to seek the support of Congress to ensure that their decisions supersede state laws as to not have preferential conditions from state to state. This is where the plan could take a while (especially with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic), but hopefully, we will see action soon.

Another important piece will be placing “guardrails” for boosters, to make sure they are not given too much power or the ability to use workarounds through endorsements to bribe athletes to attend certain programs.

This decision by the NCAA comes on the heels of top prospect, Jalen Green announcing that he will be going straight to the G-League instead of pursuing college ball. The G-League is going to establish a new team in LA with Green as the centerpiece, sweetening his deal and becoming a more attractive option for other top prospects going forward.

It is a shame that it took the nation’s top players playing semi-pro or overseas to create action from the NCAA; an action that is arguably 30 years slower than it should be. Either way, it is refreshing to hear that college athletes are nearing a state in which they can be compensated for their substantial amount of labor. The top athletes generate plenty of income, and they are finally going to be able to get a piece of their own pie.

We will continue to monitor this situation and relay any big moves here in as digestible a form as possible. It is exciting that young athletes may be getting a chance to receive compensation for thousands of hours of hard work. Keep checking back for updates!