Fair Pay to Play Act

On Monday September 30th, the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom signed a Fair Pay to Play Act. This means for the first time college athletes can be paid for their name and image. Although, with the act being passed, it does not guarantee colleges will pay their athletes, but they can get an agent who can manage their deals.

This goes against an NCAA ban where players are not allowed to receive any compensation besides their scholarships. 

Now the Fair Pay to Play Act is making more of a national impact with U.S Representative Anthony Gonzalez. He is speculated to propose a national law that would give all college athletes the opportunity to make money from endorsements. Also other states like Colorado are following in California’s footsteps. Colorado is working on creating a bill for next year that will make students eligible for earnings off their name and likeness.

Many athletes who are already playing at the pro level do not agree with the bill that are already at the pro level. They think that college should remain with no pay because they’re still at college to pursue something, and making it pro should be the point where they begin to make money. 

As Tim Tebow said in an interview with ESPN, “If I could support my team, support my college, support my university, that’s what it is all about. But now we’re changing it from ‘us’…from being an alumni where I care, which makes college sports special, to then okay it’s not about ‘us,’ it is not about ‘we.’ It is  just about ‘me.'”

 Tebow added, “It changes what is  special about college football. We turn it into the NFL, where who has the most money, that is  where you go.” 

Tebow is basically saying that if colleges start paying them they will get more of a self-centered image than a team as a whole.