****The following is a letter sent from the office of the NCAA in response to the state of California. The bold paragraphs are my response to what I have read so far.
Governor Newsom:
The 1,100 schools that make up the NCAA have always, in everything we do, supported a level playing field for all student-athletes. This core belief extends to each member college and university in every state across the nation.
Good start! Fair play. Everyone gets the same, level playing field. Let talent dictate who wins and not dollar signs. I think everyone can agree with this.
California Senate Bill 206 would upend that balance. 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. These outcomes are untenable and would negatively impact more than 24,000 California student-athletes across three divisions.
Starting to lose a few people here, NCAA. “Image and likeness scheme”? Scheme is a pretty harsh word here. What’s wrong with unrestricted name? Is it because that name is restricted solely to your pockets? Receiving money from a 3rd party also does not make you a professional athlete. If the schools were paying them, that would make them professional seeing as how the organization they are playing for is compensating them. If Tua were to get paid by Jiffy Lube, that doesn’t make him a professional football player. I’m not even going to mention how each school has a different dollar amount when it comes to a stipend the athletes receive, so there’s already a discrepancy that you’re so strongly trying to avoid.
Right now, nearly half a million student-athletes in all 50 states compete under the same rules. This bill would remove that essential element of fairness and equal treatment that forms the bedrock of college sports.
And here we go! 3 paragraphs in and the NCAA has officially hit the batshit crazy level. Compete under the same rules? Yea, sure, I’ll give you that. But fairness and equal treatment?! Are you fucking kidding me?! Silvio de Sousa says what’s up. Brock Hoffman says what’s up. But hey, Justin Fields was at least able to get a waiver to play right away because a few fans said he sucked. I’m sure that had nothing to do with being the QB at THE Ohio State. A place that generates cash for the NCAA.
The NCAA continues to focus on the best interests of all student-athletes nationwide. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. NCAA member schools already are working on changing rules for all student-athletes to appropriately use their name, image and likeness in accordance with our values — but not pay them to play. The NCAA has consistently stood by its belief that student-athletes are students first, and they should not be employees of the university.
You realize there are millions of college students every year who earn paychecks right? This also isn’t a pay for play. Endorsement does not equal salary. If that were the case, why doesn’t the millions of dollars LeBron earns from various endorsements count against the salary cap for the Lakers? If you were really working on changing rules for all student-athletes to use their name, image and likeness, you wouldn’t be asking California to stop this bill. You would be thanking them for doing the work for you and allow all 1,100 member schools to do this instead of making all 50 states sign a bill.
It isn’t possible to resolve the challenges of today’s college sports environment in this way — by one state taking unilateral action. With more than 1,100 schools and nearly 500,000 student-athletes across the nation, the rules and policies of college sports must be established through the Association’s collaborative governance system. A national model of collegiate sport requires mutually agreed upon rules.
The only people that don’t agree on this issue are officers of the NCAA because it involves money going to the revenue drivers and not the suits who sit in a corner office in Indianapolis. When 99% of the world agrees on something, maybe it’s time for the 1% to take another look at their “rules”.
We urge the state of California to reconsider this harmful and, we believe, unconstitutional bill and hope the state will be a constructive partner in our efforts to develop a fair name, image and likeness approach for all 50 states.
How in the holy hell is this harmful?! And how about a constructive partner? Right now the ball is in the NCAA’s court to be the partner and change the rules to allow the other 49 states this right. California isn’t wrong for being the one. You’re wrong for holding back the other 49.
Sincerely,
Members of the NCAA Board of Governors
The world’s largest group of morons
