https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2019-09-30/what-next-for-ncaa-college-athletics-now-that-sb-206-is-law?utm_source=Essential+California&utm_campaign=65919142a5-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_12_12_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6e35f7f85b-65919142a5-84346717Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Tuesday, Oct. 1, and I’m writing from Los Angeles. Julia Wick, L.A. Times
College sports is a multibillion-dollar industry, where the only group of people who haven’t been able to cash in are the student-athletes who make it all possible.
Now, Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill into law that will allow college athletes to make money from endorsements, potentially upending the unequal equation of college sports. The bill was vociferously opposed by the NCAA, which warned Newsom that passing it would be “unconstitutional.” The NCAA will be prohibited from barring a university from competition if its athletes are compensated for the use of their name, image or likeness beginning Jan. 1, 2023, when the law goes into effect in California.
The landmark law is the first of its kind in the nation, but it will probably have ripple effects. Lawmakers in New York and South Carolina have already proposed similar legislation, and a Florida lawmaker just announced plans to do so as well.
As state government reporter Melody Gutierrez and sports reporter Nathan Fenno write in their story, Newsom said university presidents and athletic boosters contacted him and urged him to veto the bill but that he felt strongly the state needed to address the racial, g****r and economic injustices ingrained in college athletics.
[Read the story: “California will allow college athletes to profit from endorsements under bill signed by Newsom” in the Los Angeles Times]
“This is a game changer for student athletes and for equity in sports,” said LeBron James, who has been a vocal supporter of the bill, said. Newsom signed the bill alongside James during an episode of “The Shop,” a show produced by James’ digital media company.
The NCAA said in a statement Monday that it planned to “consider next steps in California.” In the meantime, here are some key questions and answers about the law.