The NCAA’s New Look on College Athletes
By Peter Hong
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a nonprofit organization that regulates athletic competition and integrates intercollegiate athletics into higher education. It is the governing body of collegiate sports, and, recently, the organization concluded that they will begin the process of allowing college athletes to profit from their play in their respective sports. Many avid sports fans, professional athletes, and even celebrities have already voiced their own opinions on this matter using various social media platforms. This vague announcement, however, clearly raises the question: what does this exactly mean?
On Tuesday, the NCAA Board of Governers announced that they unanimously voted to allow collegiate student-athletes to profit from their “name, image, and likeliness.” To many, this appalling announcement seemed to contradict the NCAA’s previous stance on these matters. Previously, the NCAA forbade college athletes from profiting from their play, and a college athlete would be deemed ineligible to play if the athlete was ever endorsing or promoting a brand. In addition, this sudden change in collegiate athletics occurred approximately one month after California governer Gavin Newsom approved a bill that would allow college athletes to earn endorsement money, and the NCAA was constantly being pressured to alter some of their policies.
Regarding the details of the announcement, the NCAA Board of Governers announced that college athletes should be treated in a similar manner to students who are not involved in athletics, and that balanced competition will accompany any new changes made. There will be a clear difference between collegiate and professional opportunities, and the overall emphasis on the educational aspect will be stressed even more than the athletic aspect of a student-athlete. Furthermore, the NCAA will continue to regulate the high-school recruiting process and will ensure that there will be a fair environment in college sports.