ST PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota lawmakers are hearing a bill that would allow college athletes to be compensated for their name, image or likeness.
The legislation was announced by Rep. Brad Tabke (DFL-Shakopee) and Sen. Roger Chamberlain (R-Lino Lakes).
“Playing college sports takes a significant toll on students’ bodies and academic schedules,” Tabke said in a statement. “The players producing the revenue in a $14 billion industry deserve to see the benefits.”
California approved a similar bill last year, and 15 other states are considering them. Tabke and Chamberlain point out that college coaches make salaries of millions of dollars, and universities have lucrative sponsorship deals with athletic brands, "yet the athletes are prohibited from taking a paycheck."
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“This is about ending the exploitation of college athletes,” said Sen. Chamberlain. “It is simply the right and fair thing to do. Like it or not, college athletics is big time money for schools and for the NCAA, but the athletes who are responsible for building that wealth are treated differently than their classmates. Journalists or musicians on campus are allowed to use their skills to earn money, but the athletes cannot."
The Minnesota House Higher Education Committee hears the bill Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. The Senate heard it Tuesday.
In October 2019, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he would be willing to consider such a bill. Later that month, the NCAA voted unanimously to allow athletes to "benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness."
A recent AP poll found that about two-thirds of Americans support letting college athletes earn money from endorsements.
