FILE - In this March 20, 2010, file photo, a ball flicks through the net in front of the NCAA logo on the marquis during an NCAA college basketball practice in Pittsburgh. Defying the NCAA, California's governor signed a first-in-the-nation law Monday, Sept. 30, that will let college athletes hire agents and make money from endorsements — a move that could upend amateur sports in the U.S. and trigger a legal challenge. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)

California to let college athletes sign endorsement deals

September 30, 2019 - 4:49 pm




"Other college students with a talent, whether it be literature, music, or technological innovation, can monetize their skill and hard work," the governor said. "Student athletes, however, are prohibited from being compensated while their respective colleges and universities make millions, often at great risk to athletes' health, academics and professional careers."

Newsom predicted other states will introduce similar legislation.


In a statement, the NCAA said it is working to revise its rules on making money off a player's name and likeness. But it said any changes should be made at the national level through the NCAA, not through a patchwork of state laws.

California's law applies to students at both public and private institutions — but not community colleges — in the nation's most populous state. While the measure covers all sports, the big money is in football and basketball.

Student athletes won't get salaries. But under the law, they can't be stripped of their scholarships or kicked off the team if they sign endorsement deals.

There are some limitations: Athletes can't enter into deals that conflict with their schools' existing contracts. For example, if your university has a contract with Nike, you can't sign with Under Armour.


"A majority of these athletes, it's no secret, are African American," said Sen. Steven Bradford, a co-author of the bill who is black. "It's an issue of fairness, and it's an issue that has been long overdue."

Newsom tweeted a video showing him signing the law during a special episode of HBO's "The Shop: Uninterrupted" alongside NBA superstar LeBron James, one of many professional athletes who have endorsed the measure.

James, whose 14-year-old son is a closely watched basketball prospect in Los Angeles and will be 18 when the law takes effect, exulted over its signing on Instagram, saying it will "change the lives for countless athletes who deserve it!"



"I know for sure I would have been using my name after that Houston shot," he said, adding that letting athletes make money on endorsements is "huge for the game."



But the governor, a former college baseball player, said he doubts the NCAA would kick California schools out, arguing that the state's 40 million people and status as the world's fifth-largest economy make it too big to lose.

The NCAA "can't afford to do that," he said.

Democratic state Sen. Nancy Skinner, the bill's author, said it could especially help female athletes, who have limited opportunities for professional sports once they leave college.

"College is the primary time when the spotlight is on" them, Skinner said. "For women, this might be the only time they could make any money."



"We just kind of joked every kid is going to want to go to college out here in Cali now," Warriors forward Glenn Robinson III, who played college ball at Michigan, said of the new law.

"I think it's time. A lot of people are waking up and starting to see how much money that these universities are making off of players," he added. "Where I went to school, a lot of players couldn't afford lunch.


AP sports writer Janie McCauley contributed reporting from San Francisco.

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