Another opportunity to earn may soon come around for college athletes.
The California Assembly narrowly approved a bill that could allow student-athletes to get paid from the revenue of their school’s teams, according to a report by USA Today.
DON’T MISS: Invest Your NIL Money, Highest Paid Female College Athlete Says
The bill still needs to pass the state Senate and get approval from California Governor Gavin Newsom. Should it be approved, many of the bill’s provisions could take effect as soon as next year.
Athletes could receive up to $25,000 per year, though some could even top that number if the athlete completes their undergraduate degree within six years of full-time enrollment.
Controversy Over Women Athletes
The bill passed the Assembly with 41 votes in favor -- which was the minimum required for approval. However, 24 members choose to abstain. More than half of those abstaining were women.
That's because of the potential for stark differences between the payments to male and female athletes. It is no secret that football and men’s basketball are high-revenue drivers in the college space.
According to the bill’s sponsor Chris Holden, who played college basketball, new changes have been made to the bill to address those concerns, USA Today reported.
California was the first state to allow student athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness, even though the NCAA had yet to widely approve this rule themselves.
On July 1, 2021, the NCAA changed its ruling, allowing athletes to profit from their NIL, vastly changing the landscape of college athletics.
