Calif. OKs paid endorsements for college athletes
(1 Oct 2019) Defying the NCAA, California opened the way Monday for college athletes to hire agents and make money from endorsement deals with sneaker companies, soft drink makers, car dealerships and other sponsors, just like the pros. The first-in-the-nation law, signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and set to take effect in 2023, could upend amateur sports in the U.S. and trigger a legal challenge. Newsom and others cast it as an attempt to bring more fairness to big-money college athletics and let players share in the wealth they create for their schools. Critics have long complained that universities are getting rich off the backs of athletes — often, black athletes struggling to get by financially. Newsom predicted other states will introduce similar legislation. The NCAA — which had called on him to veto the bill, arguing that it would destroy the distinction between amateurs and pros and give California an unfair recruiting advantage — said it is considering its next steps. It did not elaborate. California's law applies to students at both public and private institutions — but not community colleges — in the nation's most populous state. While the measure covers all sports, the big money is in football and basketball. Student athletes won't get salaries. But under the law, they can't be stripped of their scholarships or kicked off the team if they sign endorsement deals. There are some limitations: Athletes can't enter into deals that conflict with their schools' existing contracts. For example, if your university has a contract with Nike, you can't sign with Under Armour. The law represents another instance of California jumping out in front of other states when it comes to social and political change. The movement to allow student athletes to profit from their labors on the court or the playing field has been simmering for years, portrayed as a matter of economic fairness and civil rights. Newsom tweeted a video showing him signing the law during a special episode of HBO's "Uninterrupted:The Shop" alongside NBA superstar LeBron James, one of many professional athletes who have endorsed the measure. Before the governor signed the law, the NCAA threatened to bar California universities from competition, meaning powerhouses like the University of Southern California, UCLA, Stanford and the University of California, Berkeley, could find themselves banned. If that were to happen, California schools could form a new governing body and get schools from like-minded states to join, in a threat to the NCAA's dominance. But the governor, a former college baseball player, said he doubts the NCAA would kick California schools out, arguing that the state's 40 million people and status as the world's fifth-largest economy make it too big to lose. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
