NCAA’s Official Position

[JTKoval]

Didn’t see the veto letter posted. Don’t shot me if it was.

Governor Newsom:

The 1,100 schools that make up the NCAA have always, in everything we do, supported a level playing field for all student-athletes. This core belief extends to each member college and university in every state across the nation.
California Senate Bill 206 would upend that balance. If the bill becomes law and California’s 58 NCAA schools are compelled to allow an unrestricted name, image and likeness scheme, it would erase the critical distinction between college and professional athletics and, because it gives those schools an unfair recruiting advantage, would result in them eventually being unable to compete in NCAA competitions. These outcomes are untenable and would negatively impact more than 24,000 California student-athletes across three divisions.

Right now, nearly half a million student-athletes in all 50 states compete under the same rules. This bill would remove that essential element of fairness and equal treatment that forms the bedrock of college sports.

The NCAA continues to focus on the best interests of all student-athletes nationwide. NCAA member schools already are working on changing rules for all student-athletes to appropriately use their name, image and likeness in accordance with our values — but not pay them to play. The NCAA has consistently stood by its belief that student-athletes are students first, and they should not be employees of the university.

It isn’t possible to resolve the challenges of today’s college sports environment in this way — by one state taking unilateral action. With more than 1,100 schools and nearly 500,000 student-athletes across the nation, the rules and policies of college sports must be established through the Association’s collaborative governance system. A national model of collegiate sport requires mutually agreed upon rules.

We urge the state of California to reconsider this harmful and, we believe, unconstitutional bill and hope the state will be a constructive partner in our efforts to develop a fair name, image and likeness approach for all 50 states.

Sincerely,
Members of the NCAA Board of Governors

• Stevie Baker-Watson, DePauw University
• M. Grace Calhoun, University of Pennsylvania
• Ken Chenault, General Catalyst
• Mary Sue Coleman, Association of American Universities
• John DeGioia, Georgetown University
• Michael Drake, The Ohio State University
• Philip DiStefano, University of Colorado, Boulder
• Mark Emmert, NCAA
• Sue Henderson, New Jersey City University
• Grant Hill, CBS/Warner and The Atlanta Hawks
• Sandra Jordan, University of South Carolina Aiken
• Renu Khator, University of Houston
• Laura Liesman, Georgian Court University
• Ronald Machtley, Bryant University
• The Rev. James Maher, Niagara University
• Denis McDonough, Former White House Chief of Staff
• Tori Murden McClure, Spalding University
• Gary Olson, Daemen College
• Denise Trauth, Texas State University
• Satish Tripathi, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York
• David Wilson, Morgan State University
• Randy Woodson, North Carolina State University

 

[kryptonite]

I agree that this isn't the answer, but the NCAA is a steaming pile of sht. No organization can make that much money, pay their workforce that little money and still claim the moral high ground. For those of you who are about to say that a scholarship is payment, yes it is. But compared to the amount of money the NCAA is bringing in, it's a joke. There's no excuse not to share more of the money with the people that produce it. None.

And that nonsense about not being employees? You sure as sht better show up to work every day and believe you'll lose your job if you don't perform up to par. I fail to see in what way "student-athletes" are not employees.

 

[g8rh8rMD]

Ahmmon Richards and Malek Young don’t fit your narrative, @kryptonite.

 

[RightSaidFred]

“A level playing field” they say.

Hahahahahaha

Yeah because college football is so level and equitable right now. How many national championships has Alabama played for in yhe last decade again?

 

[BigBoi]

This is going to be interesting. Amateur athletics will soon be the thing of the past. The NCAA will cave once other states pass this law. I'm conflicted because I do believe the kids should be paid but I also think college football will be ruined. I kinda rather the bagman continue it's business than government regulations. That's just me. Maybe things will work out.

 

[Go Canes!!]

If the NCAA had any forward vision they could have avoided the complete catastrophe they created soley because of their own greed and corruption.

Instead they sat idly by, feeding like the gluttonous pigs they are at heart, randomly smashing minor offenders that didn't affect their botttom line while turning a blind eye to massive cheating that's created a system where only a hand full of teams have a chance to win.

All of it off the sweat off the backs of young men who can't benefit one dollar from the billions they are helping these greedomongers stuff their wallets with.

Then they have the balls to stand there, pontificating bull**** about shamateurism and doing what's best for the kids.

Here's an idea, when your program is bringing in anwhere from $100 to $250 million a year, set aside a fraction of it for players after graduation as a reward for the thousands of unpaid hours they dedicated to making you rich. Or let them make a little money from the jerseys you sell in your team store for a hundred a pop.

**** them. They are getting exactly what they deserve,

Extinction.

 

[Canes1968]

I agree that this isn't the answer, but the NCAA is a steaming pile of sht. No organization can make that much money, pay their workforce that little money and still claim the moral high ground. For those of you who are about to say that a scholarship is payment, yes it is. But compared to the amount of money the NCAA is bringing in, it's a joke. There's no excuse not to share more of the money with the people that produce it. None.

And that nonsense about not being employees? You sure as sht better show up to work every day and believe you'll lose your job if you don't perform up to par. I fail to see in what way "student-athletes" are not employees.

The players receive far more than just the value of a scholarship. There is value in the training facilities they are provided, the training staff, the food, the nutrition staff, the tutoring, the housing, the coaching, the equipment, etc. Add it all up, and the a football player at an average P5 school is likely receiving in excess of $300-$400 thousand per year, tax free.

 

[Garnacho]

I stopped readying after first sentence.

 

[Home Slice]

Even if Universities and da NCAA had wanted two, Title 9 makes directly compensating athletes in revenue producing sports very difficult. Allowing players to make some paper on their own likeness would help with this.

Title 9 needs to bee amended or repealed. Having to treat football players, who risk serious injury and whose sport produces billions in revenue, the same as a male or female swimmer, don't make no cot dam cents to Canedog.

I was thinking the same thing regarding Title IX. "Equal" compensation for non-revenue sports? Ummm. . . .

 

[Cane6]

Now it’s only a small variable in this whole equation, but if football and basketball players get a “bigger piece of the pie”, which I’m not saying is wrong, there will be less money for the sports that operate at a loss, ie tennis, gymnastics, swimming, etc. both male and female

 

[caneworld]

Even if Universities and da NCAA had wanted two, Title 9 makes directly compensating athletes in revenue producing sports very difficult. Allowing players to make some paper on their own likeness would help with this.

Title 9 needs to bee amended or repealed. Having to treat football players, who risk serious injury and whose sport produces billions in revenue, the same as a male or female swimmer, don't make no cot dam cents to Canedog.

Opens the door for corporate sponsorship of individual athletes like tennis and soccer players etc, blurring the lines of professional sports and college sports..

Time to blow up the cartel called NCAA.

 

[Manuel Diez]

This is going to be interesting. Amateur athletics will soon be the thing of the past. The NCAA will cave once other states pass this law. I'm conflicted because I do believe the kids should be paid but I also think college football will be ruined. I kinda rather the bagman continue it's business than government regulations. That's just me. Maybe things will work out.

This will be the death of college sports as we know it... and it's probably long overdue.

 

[ThomasM]

This will be the death of college sports as we know it... and it's probably long overdue.

"As we know it" is exactly right. It needed a major change, but the NCAA wouldn't do anything about it. They like the system they have in place, making billions of dollars off an unpaid work force. Anything that gives them the middle finger, I am fine with. I am sick of their corruption.

 

[Klamalama]

When monopolies get too powerful and abusive, they get regulated.

 

[pacusmc]

He said equal and fair treatment of all.
It’s like a meth head telling you “I promise I’ll bring it right back”

 

[kryptonite]

Ahmmon Richards and Malek Young don’t fit your narrative, @kryptonite.

There's a difference between a school doing the right thing and letting a player who can no longer play finish his degree and letting a guy who isn't performing continue with the team. It's a job. A job that will support you if you get hurt doing work for them, but a job nonetheless.

And I don't have a "narrative". That's what people say to make out like a person is making stuff up because they have an axe to grind. I'm not out to get the NCAA, I'm just mentioning some hard truths. And the truth is that while players receive a lot for their service, it's not at all proportional to the amount of money being made in the sport. Just because it's more than you or I got doesn't mean it's fair or what they deserve.

 

[kryptonite]

Opens the door for corporate sponsorship of individual athletes like tennis and soccer players etc, blurring the lines of professional sports and college sports..

Time to blow up the cartel called NCAA.

I think sponsorship of individuals is a bad way to ge, but what we've got is pretty bad too. I think the answer lies with players all getting more of the pie, not "stars" being able to capitalize on their names. That's gonna lead to Nike spending millions promoting player X for the Heisman or trying to get player Y into the first round.

More money in the sport is not going to fix anything.

 

[88]

I agree that this isn't the answer, but the NCAA is a steaming pile of sht. No organization can make that much money, pay their workforce that little money and still claim the moral high ground. For those of you who are about to say that a scholarship is payment, yes it is. But compared to the amount of money the NCAA is bringing in, it's a joke. There's no excuse not to share more of the money with the people that produce it. None.

And that nonsense about not being employees? You sure as sht better show up to work every day and believe you'll lose your job if you don't perform up to par. I fail to see in what way "student-athletes" are not employees.

NCAA is a governing body. Only the administration gets paid. The money is distributed by the conferences, which distribute it among the schools. The schools are the one profiting, and the schools are the ones that’d be paying players. State funds can’t be used to fund these athletic programs, so they’re all ran by money generated by sports, mostly football and donations.

Since there’s Title IX, there’s needs to be a lot of female programs and scholarships to even out the male football scholarships. Because of this most athletic programs are losing money. It’s why schools like UNF refuse to start a football team.

People thinking the NCAA is some billion dollar company hoarding money don’t get it. Most of the money generating is helping build college athletic programs and increasing the facilities the football players use, and the coaching they receive.

Get rid of title IX and some people’s fantasy of playing players can come true. If not, a pay for play system is only viable for a handful of schools.

This is why states are going after likeness. Unfortunately this sets up for all types of shenanigans and hard to prove “unscrupulousness”.

 

[kryptonite]

NCAA is a governing body. Only the administration gets paid. The money is distributed by the conferences, which distribute it among the players. The schools are the one profiting.

It doesn't matter what happens to the money, the point is that the players get very little of it.

 

[dirtyred786]

The players receive far more than just the value of a scholarship. There is value in the training facilities they are provided, the training staff, the food, the nutrition staff, the tutoring, the housing, the coaching, the equipment, etc. Add it all up, and the a football player at an average P5 school is likely receiving in excess of $300-$400 thousand per year, tax free.

And how is all of that paid for?