College athlete sponsorship bill bolstered by SCOTUS decision
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[June 23, 2021]
By Greg Bishop
(The Center Square) – Monday’s U.S. Supreme
Court ruling against the NCAA doesn’t allow college athletes to get
private sponsorships, but it’s likely to bolster Illinois’ effort.
State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, recently explained his bill allowing
college athletes in the state to get paid sponsorships.
“Generally it allows student-athletes in Illinois to earn market-value
compensation for the use of their name, image and likeness, or voice,”
Buckner said.
Senate Bill 2338 is now on the governor’s desk.
The proposal is a different issue than what was addressed in Monday’s
U.S. Supreme Court decision. That decision said the NCAA wrongly limited
what additional compensation schools can provide student-athletes.
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"Nowhere else in America can businesses get away with agreeing not to
pay their workers a fair market rate on the theory that their product is
defined by not paying their workers a fair market rate," Justice Brett
Kavanaugh wrote in a concurring opinion. "And under ordinary principles
of antitrust law, it is not evident why college sports should be any
different. The NCAA is not above the law."
Indiana University sports media professor Galen Clavio told WMAY
Monday’s decision only impacts the NCAA’s prohibition of schools giving
extra benefits to student-athletes beyond scholarships.
“That’s an area that can be easily reinterpreted to whatever the school
is willing to give,” Clavio said.
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State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago,
state Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, state Rep. Keith
Wheeler, R-Oswego, and state Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield,
talk about the Student Athlete Endorsement Act Saturday
BlueRoomStream
![](../images/ads/current/centraldirect_lda_SPONSOR_2021.png)
That can range from goods like computers to services
like social media monetization.
The high court’s decision is likely to bolster Illinois’ proposal.
“The states that went ahead and decided to pass laws, whether it is
name, image and likeness laws, or what’s going on in Illinois right
now, are actually going to put the schools in their states in a
better position overall,” Clavio said.
States that allow name, image and likeness sponsorships will have a
competitive advantage of attracting star players over states that
don’t, he said.
Buckner’s bill in Illinois isn’t carte blanche. It does prohibit
endorsements for certain sectors.
“This would be alcohol and tobacco, cannabis, sports betting,
gaming, and things that fall into those categories,” Buckner said.
“I think there are about nine things that we ban those folks from
being able to endorse.”
Senate Bill 2338 is now on the governor’s desk.
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