Fair Pay To Play Act Passes Through California State Senate

• The Fair Pay to Play Act is a bill that would allow for collegiate athletes to profit off of outside sponsorships the way professional athletes do.
• The bill out of California has received nationwide spotlight due to pro athletes speaking out in favor of it.
• The NCAA does not believe this bill should be passed into law as it’s only in California and would be to the all other college athletes nationwide.

LOS ANGELES – The Fair Pay to Play Act was unanimously passed by California’s Senate on Wednesday with a vote of 39-0. Now, the Fair Pay to Play Act will find its way to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk where he will decide whether or not to sign it into law.

The Fair Pay to Play Act is a bill which would pay collegiate athletes for the use of their names and image among various platforms. This would not mean that universities would be paying their players any extra money than what they already receive in scholarships and other outlets. Instead, it would allow athletes the ability to acquire agents that could find them different deals and endorsements for monetary gain, outside of their campus duties.

Betting On California NCAA Teams

If the bill gets signed into law, it could alter the world of sports betting on collegiate sports in favor of athletes in California. The act would enable these players to gain nationwide notoriety, and sports bettors might be more inclined to wager on them and the teams they play for.

Everything from betting lines to prop bets could be skewed at sportsbooks in favor of schools and players from the Golden State due to being more well-known. The developing new interest in California’s collegiate sports scene could also cause their respective fanbases to grow, allowing for the schools to potentially gain more profits from merchandise and general popularity.

The NCAA Versus The Public

While multiple prominent figures in the sports world like that of LeBron James are advocates of the bill becoming law, schools in California are highly against it. The NCAA has stated that if the Fair Pay to Play Act becomes a law, the separate rules made up within the NCAA would no longer be followed as they stand today.

“If the bill becomes law and California’s 58 NCAA schools are compelled to allow an unrestricted name, image and likeness scheme, it would erase the critical distinction between college and professional athletics,” read a letter from the NCAA to the Governor. “Right now, nearly half a million student-athletes in all 50 states compete under the same rules. This bill would remove that essential element of fairness and equal treatment that forms the bedrock of college sports.”

The differences between pro athletes and college athletes would become muddled. It would also cause an issue among all the other schools outside of the state who have to follow rules that would no longer apply to student athletes in the state of California. The Governor has exactly 30 days to decide whether or not to sign the bill into law or veto it. Should he choose to sign it, CA SB-206 would become active beginning in January of 2023.

News tags: CA SB 206 | California | Fair Pay to Play Act | Governor Gavin Newsom | LeBron James | NCAA