California Governor Gavin Newsom was all smiles when he signed a new bill into law, forcing all California colleges and universities to pay student-athletes for using their name, likeness and image, Yahoo Sports reported.
The new bill, CA-SB206, is one of the first major pieces of legislation ensuring student-athletes don't get kicked out of their programs for getting paid.
The announcement was made public with the help of LeBron James on his HBO show, The Shop: Uninterrupted. The new bill will take effect starting in 2023.
In the episode, Newsom is seen signing the bill next to Maverick Carter, James’ business partner, and other notable athletes including Diana Taurasi, who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, a WNBA team.
“This is the number one reason why we created this platform, to be able to have moments like this,” James said on the show.
The bill has already proven to be controversial in the amateur sports world, the Associated Press reported. With the bill in place, college athletes could begin signing endorsement deals with sneaker companies, soft drink makers and other sponsors, just like professional athletes.
The NCAA, the governing body over college athletes, has made itself the primary opponent to laws like this. The organization has said student-athletes are already given multiple financial opportunities by earning athletic scholarships to play their sport.
Newsom said onThe Shop many college presidents are also against the bill, saying that paying athletes “will destroy the purity of amateurism.”
Those in favor of the California bill have responded by saying student-athletes, especially Black athletes playing college football and basketball, have created millions of dollars in wealth for their respective alma maters and deserve a direct cut of the money.
The NCAA had already topped $1 billion in revenue for the first time in the 2016-2017 school year, ESPN reported.
James, who did not attend college before becoming a professional basketball player, said he skipped college partially because he wanted to provide immediate financial help for his mother.
The star athlete, currently with the Los Angeles Laker, has a 14-year-old son who is a highly touted basketball prospect and will be 18 when the law is in place, the AP noted.
Newsom predicted other states will follow California’s lead.
The AP reported the new law does not apply to community colleges and prohibits athletes from accepting endorsements that conflict with contracts their schools have already signed.
This debate affects other kinds of colleges too. A recent essay by Jemele Hill argues Black athletes should attend HBCUs and help bolster their financial needs.
