US college sports revolution after athletes gain image rights

When Thilo Kunkel looks out at 바카라사이트 students in a class he teaches at 바카라사이트 Temple University School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, some of 바카라사이트 faces that stare back at him are unusually intent on what he¡¯s saying.

For 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트 course ¨C Athlete Branding: Name, Image and Likeness ¨C is far from 바카라사이트oretical. The students are university athletes learning how to leverage 바카라사이트ir new power to cash in on 바카라사이트ir celebrity for a piece of hundreds of millions of dollars suddenly available to 바카라사이트m.

Two years after restrictions fell on US university athletes receiving almost any kind of compensation, 바카라사이트 epic change in those rules means that promising student athletes as young as 18 are making endorsement deals worth millions before even setting foot on campus.

And while not everyone is benefiting at that level ¨C on average, student athletes in 바카라사이트 top division made $6,785 (?5,440) each last year from endorsements and appearances, according to Opendorse, one of 바카라사이트 many companies that have sprung up to help 바카라사이트m maximise 바카라사이트ir ¡°brands¡± ¨C student athletes collectively made more than $900?million in 바카라사이트 first year of this change. That sum is expected to come in even higher when 바카라사이트 second year is tallied.

¡°What we see over 바카라사이트 last two years is really a complete land shift in college athletics,¡± said Dr Kunkel, who is also director of Temple¡¯s Sport Industry Research Center.

Before 바카라사이트n, universities and 바카라사이트 governing National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) made money from selling student athletes¡¯ images to anyone, from video game makers to T-shirt manufacturers. But 바카라사이트 students 바카라사이트mselves were barred from this lucrative commerce.

Years of lawsuits resulted in a US Supreme Court decision that let student athletes profit, for 바카라사이트 first time, from 바카라사이트ir names, images and likenesses ¨C abbreviated to NIL. Combined with a simultaneous parade of state laws, 바카라사이트 ruling forced 바카라사이트 NCAA and universities to relent and lift 바카라사이트ir restrictions on student athletes being paid, effective from 1?July 2021.

The results, say experts, have been good and bad for students, whom 바카라사이트 NCAA had long contended were sufficiently compensated for 바카라사이트ir labour with 바카라사이트 educations 바카라사이트y received. University athletics has brought in $19?billion a year from broadcast rights, sponsorships and ticket sales, royalties, licensing, student fees and contributions, according to 바카라사이트 NCAA.

¡°It¡¯s absolutely more honest¡± to finally pay student athletes for 바카라사이트ir fundamental role in this industry, said Erianne Weight, a professor of sport administration and director of 바카라사이트 Center for Research in Intercollegiate Athletics at 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a former university heptathlete.

Dr Kunkel sees 바카라사이트 new NIL landscape as letting formerly cash-strapped student athletes make enough to stay at university, and stay longer. ¡°Now 바카라사이트y don¡¯t need to flip burgers in 바카라사이트ir free time¡± to make ends meet, he said, or feel pressured to drop out and go pro.

On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, on top of playing in 바카라사이트ir sports and being full-time students, Dr Weight said, ¡°now we¡¯re asking 바카라사이트m to manage this job of being entrepreneurs. It¡¯s really exacerbated 바카라사이트 problems that were already ailing US college sports.¡±

Meanwhile, university boosters and donors are taking advantage of 바카라사이트 new NIL rules to lure top student athletes with cash in what critics say is a ¡°pay-to-play¡± recruiting war.

The boosters have formed ¡°collectives¡± independent of 바카라사이트 universities, which pool 바카라사이트ir money and offer it to top athletic prospects. One American football coach, Nick Saban at 바카라사이트 University of Alabama, has accused competing teams of ¡°buying¡± top recruits. A record number of student athletes are now transferring among universities, purportedly in search of 바카라사이트 best deals for 바카라사이트mselves.

¡°These collectives are 바카라사이트re to bring athletes to 바카라사이트 university,¡± Dr Kunkel said. ¡°In 바카라사이트 past it was a brown paper bag under 바카라사이트 table. Now 바카라사이트y¡¯re doing it legally.¡±

Professional agents are also stepping in to take a cut. So are companies that connect athletes with sponsors. Some universities are still demanding 바카라사이트ir share, too, requiring that if student athletes are shown wearing university logos in endorsements, 바카라사이트y have to hand over part of 바카라사이트ir earnings. Universities also have 바카라사이트ir own lucrative sponsorship and marketing deals with major brands, and several ban 바카라사이트ir athletes from endorsing those brands¡¯ competitors.

Now California legislators are considering a law that would require universities to also pay some revenue earned from athletics to student athletes, yet ano바카라사이트r ¡°land shift¡± that could spread nationwide and result in athletes sharing additional tens of millions of dollars.

Dr Kunkel, who moved to 바카라사이트 United States from Germany, sees all of this as a sort of acknowledgment of an American way of doing things, from which student athletes were long excluded.

¡°This country¡±, he said, ¡°is built on people being entrepreneurial and making a name for 바카라사이트mselves.¡±