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The NCAA recently approved a new set of rules and guidelines to allow student-athletes to receive financial compensation for endorsements and other related opportunities beginning with the 2021-22 academic year.
The decision by the NCAA to move forward with this plan comes from years of petitioning to allow student-athletes to capitalize off of their name, image and likeness. Under the proposed rules, student-athletes can be compensated directly from third-party endorsements and companies.
With the NCAA unwilling in the past to allow student-athletes to profit off of their name, image and likeness, prospects have opted to play overseas for lucrative contracts. Recently, players have decided to stay in the United States after the NBA G League introduced the professional pathway program, where some prospects can earn upward of $500,000.
Several players across the NBA have voiced their opinions against the current model of the NCAA, including Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown. In an interview with Dr. Tsedal Neeley of the Harvard Business School, Brown said the NCAA should have allowed players to be paid a long time ago, courtesy of Justin Quinn of Celtics Wire.
Five players in the top 10 in high school basketball chose instead of going to college to make money for the NCAA, they chose to go to the G League, the developmental league [of the NBA]. Now, since they see that they’re losing their revenue — kids are starting to think differently — now they want to start making changes, and changes should have been made a long time ago so I don’t think the NCAA deserves a pat on the back, to be honest.
Five-star prospects Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd were the first two players to commit to playing on the G League Select Team while Daishen Nix de-committed from UCLA to join the program. Additionally, Kai Sotto, a four-star prospect from the Phillippines, also signed with the G League.
The group of prospects was each being recruited by Division I programs but all chose to turn professional instead. With the G League targeting several of the top prospects, many believe the NCAA will have an increasingly difficult time persuading these players to commit to playing collegiately.
Although it is unclear how much money student-athletes will be able to make in the NCAA, the option of potentially earning as much as $500,000 in the G League may be too much for some players to pass on by staying in college.
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