SAN ANTONIO — A landmark decision came from the NCAA on Tuesday. College athletes can now cash in on their fame.
According to the Associated Press, the NCAA Board of Governors made the first step to allow amateur athletes to benefit from their name, image, and likeness. Board Chair Michael V. Drake released a statement, saying the NCAA “must embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes.”
University of the Incarnate Word Interim Athletic Director Richard Duran said the move opens the door for Cardinal athletes to showcase their other skills, leveling the playing field between athletes and their peers.
“You know,18-year-olds out there have their YouTube channels, or maybe they're in bands, and they have these opportunities to highlight themselves,” he said. “And now this provides our student athletes that same opportunity.”
Critics said the move will only benefit a few elite standout superstar athletes.
“With the tens of thousands of student athletes across the entire NCAA, I think relatively, yes, it's going to impact a smaller number of student athletes, but everybody's going to have the same opportunity to do what's best to impact themselves,” Duran said.
He said there are still a lot of answered questions revolving how the policy will work. “I'm not sure what that's going to look like exactly yet, but we do know something's going to happen, because of, you know, the different states like California and Florida that are pushing the agenda,” he said.
Duran is referring to the legislation that California passed a few months ago, set to take effect in 2023 that would prevent athletes from losing their scholarships or their place on the team for accepting endorsements, according to the Associated Press.
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Other states followed suit, with the AP reporting that the NCAA aims to avoid a court battle against the laws battling the NCAA rules.
Duran said the decision doesn’t come as surprise. “It's been a few years coming and I'm excited that we're finally getting to the bottom of this and figure out what's best for the student athletes,” he said.