This archive report was first published on 30 October 2019.
October 30, 2019, marked a significant shift in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (N.C.A.A.) stance on college athletes profiting from their fame. The N.C.A.A. Board of Governors voted to pave the way for college athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness, but with a crucial caveat: any future changes must maintain clear distinctions between amateur and professional athletes.
The move comes as a response to increasing pressure from legislatures around the country, including the passage of a bill in California that will give athletes the right to profit from the use of their name, image, and likeness in 2023. The N.C.A.A. president, Mark Emmert, acknowledged that the legislative efforts and the voices of prominent athletes like LeBron James had nudged his organization into action.
“There’s no question that the legislative efforts in Congress and in states has been a catalyst to change,” Emmert said. “It’s clear that the schools and the presidents are listening and have heard loud and clear that everybody agrees that this is an area that needs to be addressed.”
A committee formed in May will continue to hash out how far the reforms will go and how they will be enforced. The guidelines for the committee include affirming that athletes are not employees, treating opportunities for athletes the same as those for non-athletes unless there is a compelling reason not to do so, and prohibiting recruiting inducements.
Val Ackerman, the commissioner of the Big East Conference and a co-chair of the N.C.A.A. committee on name, image, and likeness issues, expressed the challenge of finding a balance between fairness for students, schools, and the commercial enterprise that has made opportunities available.
