NCAA rules currently forbid athletes from receiving compensation for their names, images and likenessesEA SPORTS
The NCAA is "looking at how its rules can be modified to allow college athletes to be compensated for their names, images and likenesses," according to Ralph Russo of the AP. Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman and Ohio State AD Gene Smith will "head a new working group on the topic," with a final report from the group due to the NCAA BOG in October. NCAA rules currently "forbid athletes in most circumstances from receiving benefits or compensation for their names, images and likenesses from a school or outside source." While the Commission on College Basketball "avoided making a definitive recommendation on the issue of name, image and likeness in its report to the NCAA last year, the commissioners did encourage the association to take a long look at its rules" (AP, 5/14). However, Smith said that the working group "will not consider direct payments to student-athletes" (AL.com, 5/14). YAHOO SPORTS' Pat Forde noted other members of the 19-person panel, from "across all three NCAA divisions," include Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby, Georgia President Jere Morehead, Georgetown President John DeGioia, Colorado AD Rick George, Virginia AD Carla Williams and three "yet-to-be-named current athletes" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/14).
EARLY STAGES: In Raleigh, Brian Murphy notes the NCAA's creation of a working group comes two months after U.S. Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.) "introduced federal legislation that would stop the NCAA from prohibiting athletes from profiting off their name, image and likeness." Similar bills also were introduced in Washington state and California. Walker said, "We feel some satisfaction that we have created enough disturbance for them to take a look at this. But we've seen these meetings before. They've not produced a whole lot of results. We want to see what comes out of this that's more tangible, more action items than lip service." Walker, who has been working on this issue for years, said in March that the NCAA "had time to act." Murphy noted the NCAA "has not had a committee hearing, but Walker is trying to get one scheduled." Walker said it remains important to "right this wrong." He said, "Even if the NCAA does begin to make some changes, we need to set up the parameters and guidelines legally" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 5/15).
PLENTY OF WORK AHEAD: YAHOO SPORTS' Forde wrote the NCAA "may not go further than this committee, and it may stop short of what some reformers desire." However, the fact that the NCAA has "let down its drawbridge, crossed the moat and dared to formally consider name, image and likeness is a dramatic shift." Since the "modern iteration of the NCAA took shape" in the early '50s, the association has "held nothing so dear as the notion that college athletes have no business making money off of being college athletes" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/14). SI.com's Andy Staples wrote this move "feels like the schools and the NCAA have accepted that they'll eventually have to cross the Rubicon and accept reality on reality's terms." Staples: "Now we'll find out if they're willing to use their imaginations so they can head off more lawsuits and create a sensible way to administer the multibillion-dollar business they've created" (SI.com, 5/14).
