College athletes in California will soon be able to sign endorsement deals


This new California law could finally let college athletes score big time.
California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is set to sign a bill into law Monday that would let college athletes earn endorsement deals. But if the NCAA has anything to say about it, that won't last long, The New York Times reports.
The Fair Play Act will allow "athletes at California schools to hire agents and be paid for the use of their name, image or likeness" and protect them from NCAA retribution, The Associated Press writes. The bill passed both houses of California's legislature unanimously, and earned the support of LeBron James before heading to Newsom's desk. "Every single student in the university can market their name, image and likeness ... The only group that can't are athletes," Newsom told the Times.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Currently, college athletes are seen as amateurs who can't be paid for their performance or image. That's because student athletes "should not be employees of the university," the NCAA said in a letter to Newsom earlier this month. But the NCAA drew in $1.1 billion in revenue in 2017 using those players' abilities and likenesses, and schools profit off college athletics as well, calling into question why they can't personally profit all the same. The NCAA will likely challenge the law in court before it takes effect in 2023. It is also said it will block California schools who let students pursue endorsement deals from league play.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Today's political cartoons - May 11, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - shark-infested waters, Mother's Day, and more
-
5 fundamentally funny cartoons about the US Constitution
Cartoons Artists take on Sharpie edits, wear and tear, and more
-
In search of paradise in Thailand's western isles
The Week Recommends 'Unspoiled spots' remain, providing a fascinating insight into the past
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine