Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 206 Monday, allowing student-athletes to profit off their names, images and likenesses. The conversation has become a talking point for college students because the NCAA does not allow athletes to sign sponsorship deals or pursue a job off-campus.
“They are putting in work and time to be in the athletic program and they should be compensated for it,” third-year psychology major Terren Brooks said.
Despite some students not being fully informed on the subject, many said that students generating a profit for their play is reasonable.
“They aren’t getting paid enough for what their bringing [in revenue],” fourth-year psychology major Ricardo Cardenas said. “I think it is a positive from what I know.”
One repercussion of the bill would result in California institutions not being allowed to play out-of-state teams, but by only listening to supporters such as Lebron James and Bernie Sanders speak of the bill from their perspectives, means some students are unaware of these consequences.
“There’s benefits, but I am not sure if they outweigh the consequences,” third-year kinesiology major Amber Ottosen said. “Players are gonna be making more decisions and more people having influence, so hopefully it doesn’t focus on the money [rather] than the athlete.”
The sentiment that players deserve pay has a lot to do with students understanding the lifestyle and circumstances of many student-athletes.
“For me, I think a lot of these athletes are born into poverty, so if they have the ability to make money, I feel like it’d help,” third-year criminal justice major Jorge Aranda said. ”Overall, I’d say [the law] is a positive thing.”