NCAA: A League of Their Own?

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NCAA amateur student-athletes can now make money alongside professional athletes in paid promotional materials.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a billion dollar business, yet 98% of student-athletes will never earn a penny for their athletic endeavors. With only 1.7% of college athletes going on to become professional athletes, the NCAA has opened a door for the rest of the individuals who have worked tirelessly to earn a spot at the Division 1 level to reap some of the rewards. The NCAA has lifted its rules against athletes profiting off using their name, image, and likeness. This leaves an interesting dichotomy where, some students maintain their amateur status and others gain the term professional as they get paid for endorsements. As an NCAA Division 1 athlete at UCLA for four years, I have seen first hand where this change can bring opportunity, but not without some growing pains. 

Once I heard about the new rules, I turned to some of the other athletes I went to school with who were on the basketball, football, volleyball, softball and gymnastics teams; all of whom could have easily profited off their name, image, or likeness while playing for UCLA. Most notably, I talked to my friend, Katelyn Ohashi, who became an internet sensation and role model for over one million Instagram followers while competing on the gymnastics team.

 Katelyn could not compete at the Olympics due to injury, but she was recruited to compete at UCLA. She made a real impact on the team by helping them win a national championship, and she inspired athletes and individuals everywhere by sharing her story on Good Morning America, ESPN, Access Hollywood, People Magazine, and CBS, just to name a few platforms. She did all this while competing and receiving no compensation. When I asked her about how this rule would have impacted her if it had been implemented when she was still competing, she said: “it would have changed my experience as a student-athlete because I would have been able to capitalize off of my opportunities right away.” She went on to say: “the phrase 15 minutes of fame is no joke.” She no longer competes for UCLA, and like other gymnasts, college athletics was her final destination as gymnasts typically hit their peak when they are teenagers. She is still a fantastic role model, but she cannot earn money as a professional athlete. 

 It is important for these athletes to capitalize off of the impact they are making with their athletic performance while they are in competition. Many student-athletes like Katelyn make incredible contributions to the sport while in college, but may not have the chance to continue with the same platform or in the sport at all once they earn their degree. It is not just for the top athletes of the revenue-generating sports, like football and basketball, that this set of rules was intended for, but for every athlete that wants to make a public impact and generate an income off of their tireless schedules and grueling training. 

A challenge that arises with allowing athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness is that, based on traditional standards, they would relinquish their amateur status. Amateurs would now be playing alongside professionals. This new distinction based on compensation would  not change their level of play, as all student athletes on each team are given the same training, gear, medical supervision, and support. However, it could introduce a team dynamic that is based on profit rather than play. Some athletes may be more desirable for media campaigns or social media monetization, which could present challenges to how teammates interact with one another. Another key factor that athletes must contend with is how they manage any backlash that comes from a controversial media campaign or a negative social media post. Not only will they need to answer to coaches and fans about their athletic performance, but they will be accountable to companies who expect them to produce content, be on set, or perform on their terms.

The NCAA runs a fantastic program with decision makers who have the best intentions for the student-athletes that the association was built for. This new set of rules will present challenges in the early stages, but one thing I learned as a student athlete is that we are not afraid of challenges. NCAA Board Chair, Michel Drake claims that “this modernization for the future is a natural extension of the numerous steps NCAA members have taken in recent years to improve support for student-athletes, including full cost of attendance and guaranteed scholarships.” It may not be fair that some individuals end up profiting more than others for subjective reasons in this new model, but in the end, all student-athletes are compensated in some capacity whether it is by obtaining a “professional athlete” status; earning a college degree; capitalizing on travel and competition opportunities; or having teammates that turn into your family.

About the author

Lauren O'Donohue
By Lauren O'Donohue

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