The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the governing body of college athletics, has repeatedly threatened athletes’ eligibility due to players making money outside of the organization’s guidelines. However, in April 2020, the association supported rule changes that will allow athletes to receive compensation from third-party endorsements starting as early as the 2021-22 season. 

     The new rules would require that all sponsorships be reported to the NCAA for the amount established, and athletes would not be allowed to wear school-branded clothing for any promotions or commercials. Though the rules are broad and not yet finalized, the association stated that the guidelines will “reaffirm that student athletes are students first and not employees of the university.”

     This opens an opportunity for athletes to get paid for the athletic skill that their colleges and the NCAA have long been profiting off of, and for companies to expand their sports-based markets. Through endorsements, the NCAA does not have to deal with directly paying athletes a “salary” through university funds.

     Similar to how a student may receive academic scholarships and still work for extra money, student athletes have a right to make money for themselves outside of the school’s financial aid. If other public figures and the colleges themselves can make money from their images, the athletes should be able to as well. 

(As the NCAA does not regulate collegiate spirit programs, cheerleaders have already been able to profit from any endorsement without having to report it to the organization. They are also allowed to utilize their school image, such as wearing their uniform, in promotions.)

     However, the problems lie in the fact that “high-profile” athletes can make an unfair and excessive amount of money compared to their teammates or athletes of different sports and schools. This could lead to an unfair division among sports, and even within one team.

     For instance, just because the quarterback is commonly the most well-known player on a football team does not mean that he should receive the highest amount of endorsement money from the high reputation that the entire team built. Schools could regulate this by allowing endorsement money to be distributed evenly among the team. 

     Also, the endorsement rules could disrupt the recruiting environment. Athletes could select or transfer to schools based on the profit opportunities at an institution. 

     While the new rules open up the opportunity for athletes to profit from their athletic ability, it also opens up the opportunity for unfair competition among high-profile athletes and universities. The NCAA will need to develop specific guidelines to control what kind of promotions athletes are allowed to make, how much they are allowed to profit, and how it will affect institutions.

Carleigh Bruno, Staff Writer