by Cambree Bernkopf

A new law in California passed by Gov. Gavin Newsom allows student-athletes in NCAA to make money and hire agents. The new law is supposed to take effect in 2023. Under the California measure, thousands of student-athletes in America’s most populous state will be allowed to promote products and companies. This could bring great things to certain people, but it goes against a bedrock principle behind all college sports: athletes should not get paid beyond the costs of attending a university. The new law may create problems for California or maybe even influence other states into doing the same. 

 Other coaches, athletes, and random people outside of California are pretty upset. According to The New York Times, “The NCAA, which has been studying the possibility of rewriting its rules on endorsements, has called the measure ‘unconstitutional’ and said without elaboration on Monday that it would ‘consider next steps in California.’” The NCAA believe that it would “lead to the professionalization of college sports and many unintended consequences.”

On the other hand, many athletes in California are ecstatic about this new change and can’t wait till 2023. They will finally be able to hire agents and make good money. Senator Nancy Skinner puts it this way, “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. Students who love their sport and are committed to continuing their sport in college are handicapped in so many ways, and it’s all due to NCAA rules.”

This new law not only creates the chance for so many more opportunities in the future, it also helps athletes that don’t make it to professional levels to make money. A very small amount of college athletes eventually turn professional, and for the rest, “College is the only time they have to profit off their hard-earned athletic successes,” Hayley Hodson, a former Stanford volleyball player, said during legislative testimony.