NCAA has begun process to allow athlete to profit off likeness
NCAA just released a statement saying the process has begun to allow “student athletes to benefit off of their name and likeness.”
Statement has a line that says “we must embrace change”
October 29th, 2019 at 3:23 PM ^
The same guy that downvoted me apparently. Someone's Cheerios got pissed in this AM.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:14 PM ^
Will this be the end of athletic scholarships? I don’t see how you can be paid to play football while on an athletic scholarship and get paid to play because of your likeness.
And football is going to get real boring because the big markets will suck up all the recruits. And these kids won’t care if they ride the pine because Snoop is paying them a lot of money to come to USC.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:21 PM ^
Sure they'll care. It's hard to get the NFL to care about you if you don't play.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:41 PM ^
Time value of money.
$1M when you are 18 is going to be worth more than 4th - 7th round draft pick rookie contract money in 3 to 5 years.
October 29th, 2019 at 3:15 PM ^
You're high if you think that many of these kids are going to be making $1m as an 18 year old. This is going to be something that follows the Pareto Principle. 20% of the players are going to receive 80% of the benefits. Those 20% will (hopefully) be more spread out among the P5 schools as they will be incentivized to do so.
October 29th, 2019 at 3:58 PM ^
But you know some billionaire with more money than sense is going to buy his alma matter a football team.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:22 PM ^
Why would it be the end of athletic scholarships? You do realize that only a small percentage of college athletes across the country will see any meaningful amount of money from this, right? If you're not a P5-starting-caliber player in football (or high-major in basketball), I doubt you see more than a few grand tops, depending on what gets negotiated with EA Sports or whomever takes over the NCAA video games.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:22 PM ^
Maybe I'm missing something? Why can't you simultaneously be on athletic scholarship and get paid for uses of your likeness?
I think most hi-end players are not going to be willing to pine to get a few bucks from Snoop.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:24 PM ^
That's kind of what has already been going on. Except now the revenue the football program makes will be more significant than whether how much you are willing to cheat.
Clemson is cooked.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:51 PM ^
Michigan has hundreds if not thousands of alumni with Snoop money. What makes anyone think more rich guys are going to willingly give away money to 17/18 year olds to come to a school than are doing it currently? It would still be against the rules.
Passionate fanbases would seem to be the most lucrative marketing opportunity. Yes there’s more business in LA but how many of those in LA care. Are they going to buy your product because star college athlete is endorsing it? How about pay for a players autograph? They’d also be competing with pros like Lebron and Kawhi.
I actually think this very well may spread talent like others have said. Did anyone know who Josh Jacobs was at Alabama? Maybe he goes to Stillwater to be the BMOC instead being just another RB in the Alabama stable.
I don’t know that this will be some panacea for Michigan but it’s probably a net positive. And even if it isn’t it’s just the right thing to do. A lot will change and these kids will have to learn how to manage their brand.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:57 PM ^
Athletes hate riding the pine. They sign with top programs with the firm belief in their own abilities. The same mentality that helped them get there in the first place.
There was a point where the television money became big enough that this was inevitable. The question is how to maintain the charade that college football and basketball are amateur sports without blowing up the NCAA.
Hence the long list of goals that are somewhat contradictory. I don't think it can be done, but they might as well keep trying.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:01 PM ^
NCAA: California approves NIL rights for athletes?? Never!!! GET THE LAWYERS.
LAWYERS: We gon’ lose, brah.
NCAA: Our thinking in this matter has evolved. Let us embrace change.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:01 PM ^
Huge. Needed move, but good for them seeing the writing on the wall and acting.
We are witnessing one of the most significant changes in American sports, certainly in a generation. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out.
There will be some unforeseen problems and some real negatives. But I think this is very good.
And while I’ve argued this hypothetical quite a bit, I do in all seriousness hope Simone Biles decides to go to college and compete.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:04 PM ^
This will be like a new pair of boxer briefs
at first it will be strange and uncomfortable, but soon it will be natural and feel like nothing at all.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:06 PM ^
Fire the money cannon!
October 29th, 2019 at 2:11 PM ^
Goodbye bagman
October 29th, 2019 at 2:12 PM ^
At this point the NCAA seems about as dialed in with the real world as Willy, Nicky and Franz Joseph were in June of 1914.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:14 PM ^
I think the garden just got unfenced!
October 29th, 2019 at 10:05 PM ^
If anything, this will give Rutger the opportunity to actually fence it in slightly. I mean, being Rutger, they would probably fence just the ocean side, but if some of the competent people on their academic side provide some advice to the athletic department, they could actually use this to their advantage.
The starting QB could land a huge spray-tan endorsement deal, for example.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:18 PM ^
Wow, that's a quick turn-around. I assume their lawyers finally yelled loudly enough that they'd lose if they fought it.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:21 PM ^
I just got married 2 weeks ago. I think our first real test will be when they release the new NCAA game.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:22 PM ^
Begun paying the players has
October 29th, 2019 at 2:25 PM ^
Yoda, is that you?
October 29th, 2019 at 2:23 PM ^
Now is the funny part where schools simply stop using actual players in advertisements and promotions so they don't have to pay players. Everything with be done with fair use, school licensed artwork and players will still get nothing other than what they can earn off of autographs and such. Let's be honest, how many players autographs are you willing to pay for? One, maybe two players.
I'm glad they finally did this because now the issue is in the player's hands and they get to find out that almost all of them are nothing in terms of marketability.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:32 PM ^
This presupposes it is really about marketing and not an end-around to allow some well healed alumni to funnel some cash to a kid via use of likeness.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:41 PM ^
What? The school's relationship with the student-athlete isn't changing. This won't affect anything like that.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:43 PM ^
Why the hell would a school do this, it's 100% against their best interest. Most P5 program would pay players directly if not the rules for recruiting purposes. Now that they can, you really think they'll play games to screw the players out of what is to the school chump change?
October 29th, 2019 at 2:39 PM ^
I can see the more savey schools and those with more money putting together marketing departments and/or relationships with outside marketing groups as an inducement in recruiting. IT will go like this, "Hey Son, we are ___ University besides have the best Athletic facilities and football team have the best means to market your name, likeness, and skill set to make the most money during your stay at our school. Look at what we've done for ..... and .... in the few years. We have the largest relationship with Nike or Puma etc and we can leverage that for your benefit" Watch for it, it will be coming very soon if not already started and in place..
October 29th, 2019 at 4:26 PM ^
If Michigan doesn't do this, then it's inexcusable. My expectation is that Michigan work this new system to the full extent possible. We've been screwed over long enough by hewing to the rules. Now it's time to use the rules to our advantage.
October 29th, 2019 at 8:19 PM ^
I've seen a few comments like this and I just don't see what the big deal is. Schools are already doing this. Michigan does its own non-monetized version of this when it markets its academics to on-campus recruits. And I'd bet money there are revenue and non-revenue athletes who already receive internships and boosted job prospects based on their status as athletes.
October 29th, 2019 at 10:54 PM ^
The non-monetized version is chump change compared to what Michigan can now throw at 5 stars. This will definitely shift the balance of power to those school who have a marketing advantage and Michigan will be near the top of this list, even ahead of OSU. Hello, national championships with all of our 5 stars.
October 29th, 2019 at 10:12 PM ^
I figured this was the obvious move. It's basically making the whole Adidas scandal legal (as long as taxes are paid). This should be very good for UM basketball since we have Jordan.
Plus, I have a feeling that our basketball players are going to receive a bunch of extra love from ESPN pretty soon. I expect Jalen to do whatever he can to ensure that Juwan succeeds.
October 29th, 2019 at 2:39 PM ^
NCAA 2021, here we come!
October 29th, 2019 at 3:08 PM ^
I'll admit that I was originally against this. However, if we're moving forward with it, how long before you think it will start? I see us with the Jordan brand having an immediate advantage, because kids like the brand. I don't see anything that would prevent us from piping in a ton of money to Jordan, and in return, have them give a ton of money to the top recruits....IF they sign with a Jordan brand school (Oklahoma and Florida being our only real competition).
October 29th, 2019 at 3:40 PM ^
I feel like somewhere Chris Webber is smiling. A large portion of the Fab Five story was the frustration that they were not getting paid for their likeness (the jerseys, the shorts, the black socks).
October 29th, 2019 at 3:42 PM ^
They must have finally read the paper I wrote advocating for this in my business ethics class in college in like 2006. Not sure why it took them so long to get around to reading it. I got an A.
October 29th, 2019 at 3:55 PM ^
Beat OSU!
...in endorsements.
October 29th, 2019 at 4:06 PM ^
Gene Smith from Ohio State led the discussion.
He was chosen because Ohio State already had extensive experience in paying its athletes.
/ amirite
October 29th, 2019 at 4:38 PM ^
I have no idea where this is going to go. I hope it's a good things for both the athletes and the sport. It's going to be really hard to police the money
October 29th, 2019 at 6:40 PM ^
Guessing the NCAA will clearinghouse the above board money for a cut.
October 29th, 2019 at 4:42 PM ^
I for one am happy that we will soon have the next NCAA football game for a next gen console.
October 29th, 2019 at 4:46 PM ^
I’m cool with this as long as the following three things happen in conjunction with this.
1. The NCAA requires that all student athletes meet the school’s acceptance requirements, the requirements that non-student athletes adhere to.
2. The NCAA no longer funds athletic scholarships, OR all athletic scholarships are guaranteed in full for four years once an athlete signs on the dotted line.
3. The NCAA ensures that any third party facilitation of profiting off of a player’s image or likeness nullifies an athletic scholarship (boosters, cash handshakes, etc).
October 29th, 2019 at 4:46 PM ^
It will get watered-down and mired in a 4,000 page compliance manual.
The NCAA knows how to kill a good idea.
October 29th, 2019 at 4:48 PM ^
I'm all for the athletes getting paid BUT I see no way the NCAA will be able to control this nor will they try.
October 29th, 2019 at 11:21 PM ^
Are they able or interested in controlling the system now. Seems like an institution self reports, recommends their sanctions and the NCAA concurs. Unless you're a mid major and then they will add more punitive sanctions.
October 29th, 2019 at 4:58 PM ^
There should be people in the AD at Michigan right now developing a strategic plan for how to exploit this system to the maximum extent possible. We need to hire a team of people whose job it is to identify Michigan-friendly corporate sponsors who will systematically pay every player that signs an LOI with us (in exchange for their image on a billboard or something). For example (using companies led by Michigan alumni):
- $10,000/year to every player from JetBlue
- $50,000/year to every player from H&R Block
- $30,000/year to every player from Craigslist
- $10,000/year to every player from Bacardi Corp
- $80,000/year to every player from General Electric
- $20,000/year to every player from Five Guys Burgers
- $20,000/year to every player from Chrysler Corp
And then there should be a development team to secure ~$1M per year contributions (i.e., endorsements for using players' images on their whatevers) from private individuals, including Michigan alumni such as Tom Borders, Brad Keywell, Niklas Zennstrom, Stephen Ross, and Larry Page. These could be distributed equally among all players or on a performance basis.
All-in-all, combined with university-based merchandise sales, I want to see every Michigan player guaranteed about $200,000-$300,000 per year in earnings just for signing with Michigan.
We're always noting how we're a better school academically than OSU, Alabama, and all the other schools who outperform us in football. Well, now we can take advantage of our being smarter and more successful to dominate in football, too.
October 29th, 2019 at 5:38 PM ^
OK, this now demands an expansion of the CFP ... more exposure for the student athletes is critical to create a level playing field for opportunities. Plus the money making marketing opportunities are enormous.
Instead of March Madness it will become December Deliriousness.
16-team playoff over 4 weeks culminating with title game on Jan 1 ... think big or go home !
October 29th, 2019 at 5:40 PM ^
Could NBC pay all Notre Dame players as a way for them to make the Irish better as that would mean higher TV ratings
October 29th, 2019 at 10:44 PM ^
Michigan would do great with NIL! Cool uniforms, national program and tradition! Come on 5 stars, we got a giant money cannon ready for you!