By Jerry Nowicki
On the same day a bill allowing college student-athletes to profit from the use of their name or likeness passed an Illinois House committee Tuesday, the governing body that oversees most collegiate athletics took steps toward allowing such activity at a national level.
The vote by the NCAA Board of Governors came just hours after state Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, passed his House Bill 3904 through the House Higher Education Appropriations Committee by a 9-6 vote on partisan lines.
At the committee, Welch said the efforts of California, which passed a similar bill into law earlier this year, Illinois and at least 10 other states helped put pressure on the NCAA, a membership organization for intercollegiate athletics.
“Until this happened, they weren’t listening. Now they will,” Welch said of the NCAA.
His bill would allow student-athletes to be paid for the use of their name and likeness and would prohibit the NCAA from punishing students who take part in the payment or the universities they attend. It would not allow for payment of salaries by universities.
According to an afternoon news release from the NCAA, its board directed each of the NCAA’s three divisions to “immediately consider updates to relevant bylaws and policies for the 21st Century.” It is not yet clear how or when those changes will be implemented, however.
The board asked each division to create any new rules no later than January 2021, per the news release.
The board’s chair is Michael V. Drake, who is president of Ohio State University.
“We must embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes,” Drake said in the release. “Additional flexibility in this area can and must continue to support college sports as a part of higher education. This modernization for the future is a natural extension of the numerous steps NCAA members have taken in recent years to improve support for student-athletes, including full cost of attendance and guaranteed scholarships.”
— Capitol News Illinois