Florida rarely leads the nation in progressive ideas. Last year, however, our state was at the forefront of a long-overdue movement to modernize college sports.
The Legislature allowed collegiate athletes to make money off themselves, just as universities already do. California was the first state to act, but Florida was close behind. The importance of that position became even clearer this week.
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that colleges can’t limit compensation for athletes only to the four-year, undergraduate scholarships they receive. The often divided court torched the myth, which the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has perpetuated for decades, that young men and women must be amateurs while all the adults around them make millions off their skills.
Florida’s law allowing student athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness takes effect on July 1. Similar legislation in 15 other states would also allow athletes to accept compensation without losing their amateur status.
Example: A Gainesville car dealership wants the University of Florida quarterback to do a commercial. The quarterback now can do that on Wednesday and play on Saturday, without worrying that the NCAA will suspend him.
And why shouldn’t UF players have that opportunity? Head Football Coach Dan Mullen just signed a new contract that will pay him $7.6 million through 2027. Coaches have great sway in college, but not one of them scores touchdowns.
How will all this play out? No one is sure. Universities in Florida, knowing that the state law is about to kick in, have formed teams to advise athletes. Florida State University Athletic Director David Coburn noted recently that visas for foreign-born athletes prohibit them from taking extra money.
We do know, however, that the NCAA could have headed this off years — even decades — ago. Instead, that mossback institution tried to ignore how much athletic departments and individuals were profiting from the cheap labor of its most important employees.
In his concurring opinion, Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh said that such a system would be “flatly illegal in any other industry.” But NCAA Executive Director Mark Emmert, whose compensation is nearly $3 million a year, kept defending the system until it collapsed under its own corruption.
Given the importance of big-time college sports in Florida, this state was right to jump in. In 2018-19, the athletic budgets at Florida and Florida State, respectively, were $159 million and $152.7 million. That ranked them ninth and 11th nationally.
Technically, Monday’s ruling was limited. It applied just to graduate scholarships. But the language of the opinions made clear that the system is about to collapse. Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch said the NCAA has used its monopoly on sports at 1,200 colleges to violate antitrust laws. Mark Emmert, meet Bill Gates.
When Gov. Ron DeSantis signed our state’s law, he said, “We’re not talking about, you get a scholarship to Florida State and Miami and the universities are gonna pay you to play. That’s not what we’re talking about.” But, he noted, an athlete’s “name, image, and likeness is being used to make millions and millions of dollars, and they don’t have the opportunity to get any of that. There’s something fundamentally unfair for [sic] that.”
But “pay to play” beyond the scholarships athletes already get could be coming. Indeed, consider what could happen with recruiting of top high-school prospects in football and basketball, which produce most revenue for college athletic departments.
Mikey Williams is a 16-year-old basketball player in North Carolina. He has three million followers on Instagram. Will schools recruiting him appeal not just to his athletic talent but how much he could make as a social media influencer using the school’s technology?
Ceyair Wright is a football player who just signed with the University of Southern California. Los Angeles is Wright’s hometown, but another factor was USC’s film department.
Wright starred with LeBron James in “Space Jam 2.” He has been in other movies. Shouldn’t he be able to make money from acting while playing football? Will the University of Central Florida now have an edge over UF and FSU because the school can sell aspiring actors on the Disney connection?
High schools also could feel the impact. Top prospects, at their families’ urging, may want to show off their individual skills and worry less about winning. Coaches may feel pressure to showcase one player over another.
Resistance will remain. During this year’s legislative session, someone tried to delay Florida’s proposed law on student-athletes by making it part of a bill on charter schools that went into effect in another year. Rep. Chip LaMarca, R-Lighthouse Point, who sponsored the 2020 bill, objected, along with many others. The delay failed.
Old-school types will grumble about what happens. Consider, though, that not long ago coaches could break contracts and leave schools immediately while athletes had to sit out for a year if they transferred.
The NCAA could have acknowledged reality. Instead, Florida and other states had to force change onto the hidebound organization. College sports soon won’t be the same — and that’s a good thing.
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The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney, Steve Bousquet and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Editorials are the opinion of the Board and written by one of its members or a designee. To contact us, email at letters@sun-sentinel.com .
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