The state of Florida wants to be like California when it comes to college athletics. On Monday, the Florida House of Representatives filed Bill 251 which allows college athletes to be paid through endorsement and earn compensation for their name, images and likeness according to College Football Talk. This came on the heels of California passing the same bill which will take in effect on Jan. 1, 2023.
It’s not known when the bill will pass in Florida and this does not mean college athletics will change for the bad, but it looks like things will be different in the next few years. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is not surprised that more states are looking to do the same thing.
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“It’s going to initiate dozens of other states to introduce similar legislation,” Newsom said on the Uninterrupted talk show The Shop according to the Los Angeles Times. “And it’s going to change college sports for the better by having now the interest finally of the athletes on par with the interests of the institution. Now we are rebalancing that power.”
The NCAA is against this bill and the PAC-12 Conference recently released a statement about the issue:
The Pac-12 is disappointed in the passage of SB 206 and believes it will have very significant negative consequences for our student-athletes and broader universities in California. This legislation will lead to the professionalization of college sports and many unintended consequences related to this professionalism, imposes a state law that conflicts with national rules, will blur the lines for how California universities recruit student-athletes and compete nationally, and will likely reduce resources and opportunities for student-athletes in Olympic sports and have a negative disparate impact on female student-athletes.
Our universities have led important student-athlete reform over the past years, but firmly believe all reforms must treat our student-athletes as students pursuing an education, and not as professional athletes. We will work with our universities to determine next steps and ensure continuing support for our student-athletes.
If Florida and more states approve the bill, the one big change college sports fans will see is the return of college video games. EA Sports are behind the NCAA Football franchise but the company hasn’t released a new game in five years due to a lawsuit by former players for not being paid for their likeness.
