U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said that he is "planning to introduce a bill" today that "would require the NCAA to make rule changes regarding college athletes’ ability to make money from their name, image and likeness and give the association protection from legal challenges to the new regulations," according to Steve Berkowitz of USA TODAY. The NCAA has said that it "plans to loosen its rules pertaining to athletes’ name, image and likeness, with the changes to be voted on at its annual convention in January 2021 and become effective at the start of the 2021-22 academic year." Rubio’s measure "would force the NCAA to establish a new setup no later than June 30, 2021." Under the bill, the NCAA would have the latitude to make rules "as are deemed necessary" to:
- Preserve the "amateur status of student athletes.”
- Ensure appropriate "recruitment of prospective student athletes.”
- Prevent "illegitimate activity with respect to any third party seeking to recruit or retain student athletes ... including any third party”
Rubio indicated that the latter provision is "intended to prevent 'boosters from using this as a way to recruit or retain students.'" It is "not intended to prevent athletes from making deals with companies that have, or have had, contracts with schools, and Rubio is hoping [the] NCAA will craft policies benefiting athletes." Berkowitz reports under the bill, athletes "would be able to have professional representation in making name, image and likeness deals and they would be required to report any such compensation to their school and the NCAA" (USA TODAY, 6/18).
