US: California Senate passes Fair Pay to Play Act, NCAA opposes

The California state Senate voted in favor of the Fair Pay to Play Act on Wednesday, September 12, sending it to Governor Gavin Newsom for final approval, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The bill would allow college athletes to accept endorsement money and earn an income from the use of their names, images, and likenesses.

Earlier Wednesday, the NCAA board of governors sent a letter to Newsom urging him not to pass the legislation, calling it “unconstitutional.”

The NCAA also claimed the bill could “upend” the competitive balance in college athletics while blurring the “critical distinction” between amateur and professional sports.

“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,” the board wrote.

On Monday, the California State Assembly unanimously voted to pass the bill, leaving the Senate and the governor as the final hurdles left to clear.

Full Content: LA Times

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