In The News

Game on for Bay Area student athlete recruitment as high court lets colleges sweeten incentives

The new ruling does not address Fair Pay to Play, scheduled to take effect in 2023, or similar laws passed in 18 other states. But the law’s author, state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, said Monday that she expects the Supreme Court ruling to reinforce the idea that college athletes should be able to profit from their own brands, and to help shield the practice from future court challenges.

“The Supreme Court said, ‘You can’t be a price-fixer,’” said Skinner, who is sponsoring legislation, SB26, that would advance the effective date of Fair Pay to Play to this September. “We are moving in a direction of saying student athletes need to be valued for what they are bringing to colleges and the multibillion-dollar sports industry.”

Under Fair Pay to Play, if a college sports star is a hometown hero, the town could “celebrate that athlete by allowing a civic club or car dealership to feature them in ads and give them some compensation,” Skinner said.

 

For the full report, click here.