The NCAA Board of Governors unanimously voted Tuesday to start the process of changing rules to allow college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness. 

Michael V. Drake, chair of the board, said the vote directs each of the NCAA’s three divisions to immediately consider updating relevant bylaws and policies for the 21st century, per the NCAA’s press release. 

The board members said that all “modernization” should assure that college athletes are treated similarly to all other students, maintain the priorities of education and the collegiate experience, and emphasize competitive balance. The board also set a January 2021 deadline for each division to create new rules. 

When contacted by The Daily Orange for more information about the language of the board’s guidelines, the NCAA provided no further comment.

“We appreciate and support the NCAA Board of Governors’ recent action that paves the way for student-athletes to benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness in a manner consistent with the collegiate model,” Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack said in a statement. 

“Syracuse University will continue to elevate all aspects of our student-athletes’ experience. This includes providing enhanced academic support, holistic health and wellness resources and integrated academic advising and career planning,” Wildhack said. “These actions, and others, further position our student-athletes for success on the playing fields, in the classroom and beyond.”

The news comes as several state legislatures have proposed bills that would allow college athletes to be compensated. California’s Fair Pay to Play Act was signed into law in September and allows college athletes in the state to profit from their likeness and hire agents. 

The NCAA Board of Governors previously condemned the California bill, saying it would “erase the critical distinction between college and professional athletics.” According to an ESPN report, the NCAA’s new rules will not follow the “California model” of a virtually unrestricted market. 

New York State Senator Kevin Parker proposed a bill in September that would evenly distribute 15% of every athletic department’s annual revenue to college athletes. 

Based on data provided by the university, SU Athletics generated $96,722,491 in total revenue across all sports in 2017-18, the most recent public figure.

This story has been updated with additional reporting from Senior Staff Writer Michael McCleary. 

Published on October 29, 2019 at 5:25 pm

Contact Danny: dremerma@syr.edu | @DannyEmerman