BY ALONSO J. RODRIGUEZ
One month after the state of California passed a law for college athletes allowing them to profit from the use of their image and name, the NCAA unanimously decided on Tuesday to embrace new changes “providing the best possible experience for student-athletes.”
“The board is emphasizing that change must be consistent with the values of college sports and higher education and not turn student-athletes into employees of institutions,” NCAA Board Chair Michael V Drake said in a released statement.
In this way, the NCAA continues to demonstrate that its main priority is that the well-being of student-athletes is met, and that they do not suffer from any other activities that could jeopardize their connection with training and learning that they receive from schools.
An administrative group has been in charge of investigating the different ways in which student-athletes can make money without causing them any harm. In fact, the presidents of different universities have collaborated, from May until now, to make a report that was delivered this past Tuesday and that contains very important information to solve this problem as soon as possible. Also, the board has requested the three divisions to establish the new rules before January 2021
We are facing a very relevant fact that can determine the future of many young athletes, and it seems that there has been a great social acceptance.
However, the NCAA has already stated that state laws such as those in California are incompatible with the rules of the national government agency and that if an application is made in an erroneous way, athletes would be at risk of being considered ineligible.