California bill could expose what Title IX lawsuit calls ‘shocking’ gender inequities in how college athletes are paid

While the biggest games of the Final Four will spotlight athletic prowess on the basketball court this weekend, it’s undeniable that the rising tide of players-turned-influencers inking brand deals and social media campaigns has helped pull even more eyes to the game.

But even as women’s teams in basketball and beyond are relishing a recent surge in attention — at times outshining their male counterparts — it’s not exactly clear that compensation has been equitable across gender or sport.

That’s why state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Oakland, has authored legislation that aims to increase transparency of the monetization of college athletes’ name, image and likeness (NIL) five years after her first-in-the-nation bill initially enshrined the right to get paid for their play in California and influenced states across the country to follow suit.

In January, Skinner introduced SB 906 to “bring transparency to NIL deals in California college sports and raise awareness about gender equity” in those agreements.

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