Payday for College Athletes?

It happens every fall across the country. Crowds of fans pack into stadiums to cheer on their favorite college football teams. Millions more watch the games on television. The ticket sales, sponsorships, and TV deals generate billions of dollars in revenue. That money goes to the schools and the athletic conferences they belong to, such as the Big Ten and Pac-12. The networks broadcasting the games cash in from selling commercial slots. And top coaches earn millions in salaries.

But there’s one group involved that doesn’t make any money: the players.

That’s because of rules set by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (N.C.A.A.). Under these rules, college athletes aren’t allowed to get paid by their schools. They also can’t make money off the use of their name, image, or likeness. That means they can’t sign endorsement deals with sneaker companies or get paid to appear on the covers of video games. They also can’t profit from sales of their jerseys or even sell their autographs on eBay.

Now a new law in California could change that. In September, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law the Fair Pay to Play Act. It allows college athletes in that state to strike endorsement deals and hire agents. The law is scheduled to go into effect in 2023. It’s likely that it’ll face a court challenge before then from the N.C.A.A. This is just the latest chapter in a longstanding debate over whether college athletes should get paid.

“Every single student in the university can market their name, image, and likeness; they can go and get a YouTube channel, and they can monetize that,” Newsom says. “The only group that can’t are athletes. Why is that?”

The law doesn’t require colleges to pay their athletes. It allows players to promote products and companies. That’ll give college athletes the ability to cash in on their sports fame for the first time.

The law applies only to California. But it sets up the possibility that leaders in college sports will eventually have to make some tough decisions. They’ll have to choose between changing the rules for athletes nationwide or barring sports powerhouses in California, such as U.C.L.A. and U.S.C., from competition.

The law has garnered support from many who believe it’s unfair for the N.C.A.A., schools, coaches, and networks to make so much money off college sports while the players can’t. They point out that the annual men’s college basketball tournament, called March Madness, brings in about $900 million in revenue for the N.C.A.A. None of that money gets shared with the players.

“People are just so aware of the fact that you’ve got a multibillion-dollar industry that—let’s set aside scholarships—basically denies compensation to the very talent, the very work that produces that revenue,” says California State Senator Nancy Skinner, who wrote the legislation.

The law’s start date of 2023 gives the N.C.A.A. time to mount a legal challenge. But California is betting that the association will back down and possibly change the rules for all college athletes.

The law’s start date of 2023 gives the N.C.A.A. time to mount a legal challenge. But California is betting that the association will back down and possibly change the rules for all college athletes.

The N.C.A.A. is facing pressure from a number of other statehouses as well. Legislators in Florida and Illinois have proposed similar bills. And in New York, a state senator has submitted legislation that would require colleges to pay 15 percent of the money earned from sports ticket sales to student-athletes. Officials in some other states have also signaled unease with the N.C.A.A.’s way of doing business. Many experts think California’s law could be just the first step toward allowing all college athletes to get paid.

Says Trey Lamar, a state representative in Mississippi and a former running back for the University of Mississippi: “I think you could very well see a groundswell in statehouses across the country against the N.C.A.A.”

The N.C.A.A. is facing pressure from some other statehouses as well. Legislators in Florida and Illinois have proposed similar bills. And in New York, a state senator has submitted legislation that would require colleges to pay 15 percent of the money earned from sports ticket sales to student-athletes. Officials in some other states have also signaled unease with the N.C.A.A.’s way of doing business. Many experts think California’s law could be just the first step toward allowing all college athletes to get paid.

Says Trey Lamar, a state representative in Mississippi and a former running back for the University of Mississippi: “I think you could very well see a groundswell in statehouses across the country against the N.C.A.A.”

With reporting by Alan Binder of The Times.

With reporting by Alan Binder of The Times.