Recap: California Governor Gavin Newson set aside $700,000 to create a working group to study the issues of California community college athletes being able to monetize their name, image, and likeness. While most are in favor, the same questions about unintended consequences and regulations also come up in the city college space.
Observations: No matter what level of collegiate athletics, compliance is going to be busy in the first few years of NIL legislation. City college athletic departments generally have significantly less resources to dedicate to regulations. I think it would be advantageous for city colleges to hold on their NIL legislation until the dust settles within the NCAA and they can utilize lessons learned.
There isn’t a timeline for Newsom’s working group but I’d imagine a bill like the one he signed in 2019, “The Fair Pay to Play Act” wouldn’t be put into effect until at least 2023.
By Alexandra Tagliamonte and Moses Musallam – Special to the Citizen
Jan 22, 2021
Should California let community college athletes receive compensation for their name, likeness and image? California Gov. Gavin Newsom has set aside $700,000 in his proposed budget to create a working group to study the issue, which could affect athletes in Elk Grove and across the Sacramento area.
Last year, Newsom signed Senate Bill 206, The Fair Pay to Play Act, authored by Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, allowing student athletes at four-year colleges to receive compensation for their name, likeness and image. This new law would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.
In response to SB 206, the NCAA threatened to expel California schools from competing in any playoffs. They asserted that the compensation would give an “unfair advantage in recruiting.”
Newsom is now turning his attention to community college athletes. The mission of the working group is to submit a report containing the findings and policy recommendations on compensation for community college athletes.
Local community college and high school coaches expressed conflicting perspectives on the idea.
