New Jersey Assembly Panel in Favor of Student-Athlete Endorsement Deals

The New Jersey Assembly Higher Education Committee voted in favor of the New Jersey Fair Play Act on March 5, 2020. The bill would permit college athletes within the state of New Jersey to receive compensation for endorsement deals. The panel voted 2-4 to advance the legislation, which would ultimately take effect in five academic years after its enactment.

If signed into law, the New Jersey Fair Play Act would ensure the right of student-athletes to make money off of their name, image, and likeness …

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NCAA Agrees: Student-Athletes Can Receive Funding for Olympic Training

The NCAA has determined that elite collegiate athletes may receive funding for Olympic training without risking their eligibility under the organization’s amateurism rules.

The Division I Counsel, a 40-person committee that oversees the NCAA, came to this decision at the NCAA 2020 Convention in Anaheim, California. As we have previously reported, the NCAA’s rules of amateurism currently prohibit college athletes from being financially compensated for their athletic performance. However, in a slight modification to this provision, the Division I counsel decided that elite …

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Just When You Thought It Was Over: 9th Circuit Seeks More Information from Athletes and NCAA

Previously, it was reported that U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of California, Claudia Wilken, handed a limited win to college athletes in the Shawne Alston, et al v. NCAA, et al case. Judge Wilken ruled that the NCAA cannot limit compensation or benefits “related to education.”

However, the plaintiffs were seeking to invalidate caps on all forms of compensation. In their quest, they appealed Judge Wilken’s ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. On Jan. 6, 2020, the …

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Instant Impact: Why Former UGA Standout Cade Mays Will Likely Receive Transfer Waiver to Play in 2020

As astutely pointed out by Rustin Cohle in True Detective, “time is a flat circle.  Everything we have done or will do, we will do over and over and over again – forever.”  For any fans of college football, this certainly rings true as it pertains to NCAA transfers.

This week, prominent University of Georgia sophomore offensive tackle Cade Mays entered into the infamous transfer portal, and all signs point to his instant enrollment at the University of Tennessee. Georgia is no stranger to …

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NCAA President Says Student-Athlete Compensation Rule Changes Limited by Antitrust Lawsuits

NCAA President Mark Emmert stated in a panel that the NCAA’s planned reforms regarding student-athlete compensation will be limited by rulings in various antitrust cases.

After California passed a law allowing for student-athlete compensation and many states looked to follow, the NCAA announced in a statement that it would allow student-athletes to benefit off their name, image, and likeness. The NCAA stressed that any changes would have to be consistent with the collegiate model.

In addition to new laws and proposed legislation, the NCAA …

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An Unusual Coalition: Five U.S. Senators Spark Bipartisan Effort on Student-Athlete Compensation

A group of five United States senators announced that they will be discussing the drafting of federal legislation addressing the compensation of college athletes. The five senators are: Cory Booker, D-New Jersey; Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut; Mitt Romney, R-Utah; Marco Rubio, R-Florida; and David Perdue, R-Georgia.

As we reported earlier, California became the first state to allow student-athletes to be compensated through endorsements or sponsorships. The NCAA was vehemently opposed to any efforts to mandate payment of college athletes and even threatened to ban California schools …

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NCAA Upholds Penalties Against Mizzou, Including Postseason Bans

An NCAA appeals committee upheld a series of penalties against the University of Missouri (Mizzou), including postseason bans, after a tutor was found to be completing coursework for several student-athletes.

The NCAA Committee on Infractions initially penalized Mizzou in January 2019. The tutor was employed by the university from 2010 to 2016 and began to complete student coursework in the summer of 2015. The tutor interpreted a pay raise as school approval of her behavior. She completed assignments, quizzes, exams, and even an entire course …

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(Anti)trust the Process: Could a Ban-But-Not-Break Gamble lead to the NCAA’s Doomsday Scenario?

Money and power. The NCAA for years has had both but now may end up with neither.

The recent passing of California’s Fair Pay to Play Act has the potential to fundamentally change college sports forever. This groundbreaking legislation allows athletes from in-state schools to earn compensation through endorsements. Trying to prevent the floodgates from opening, the NCAA is firmly planting its foot down, demonstrating its unwillingness to move off the status quo. Instead, they are threatening to ban California schools from competition rather than …

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Washington D.C. Arena Will Be America’s First Sports Venue with Sportsbook

Capital One Arena, the home of the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals, is about to become the first major sports venue in the United States to have a sportsbook.

Monumental Sports & Entertainment, owner of the teams and the arena, announced a partnership with sports betting operator William Hill US. The sportsbook will span multiple floors and be accessible to both non-ticketholders and ticketholders for certain events. Expected to open in 2020, the sportsbook will be open year-round and is accessible to the public from …

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Pennsylvania and Florida Latest to Introduce Bills to Pay Student-Athletes

The bandwagon keeps rolling — Florida and Pennsylvania have become the latest states to introduce legislation that would allow student-athletes to earn compensation through endorsements and sponsorships. Like the recent bill signed into law in California, which allows student-athletes to receive compensation for the school’s use of their name, image, and likeness, state legislators in Florida and Pennsylvania introduced their own versions of the Fair Pay to Play Act.

On September 30, 2019, Florida state Rep. Kionne McGhee introduced House Bill 251–a bill that would …

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