College Athletes Should Get Paid Endorsements: Florida Governor

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Taking California's lead, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday he supports allowing college athletes to get paid for the use of their names, images and likeness in endorsement deals, just like their professional heroes.

"California did the first step. If Florida then follows suit, this is not like Delaware is doing this," DeSantis told reporters. "These are really big powerhouse states when it comes to college athletics. I think that is going to require the NCAA to re-evaluate."

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is the nonprofit organization that regulates student athletes from more than a thousand North American colleges and conferences.

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation law on Sept. 30 that paved the way for college athletes to hire agents and make money from endorsement deals with sneaker companies, soft drink makers, car dealerships and other sponsors. That law is set to take effect in 2023.

The NCAA, which had opposed the California measure, argued that it would destroy the distinction between amateurs and pros and give California an unfair recruiting advantage.

The NCAA did not immediately respond to a Patch request for comment on the Florida governor's announcement.

In an earlier statement, the NCAA said it was working to revise its rules on making money off a player’s name and likeness. But it said any changes should be made at the national level through the NCAA, not through a patchwork of state laws.

DeSantis, a Republican, said he doesn't often look to California, for ideas.

"It probably doesn't surprise a lot of people to know that when I look to see good policy ideas, California is usually not the first place I'd look," he said.

Comparing college athletes to chemistry majors, DeSantis said there would be nothing to prevent students from benefiting financially from a new chemical compound.

"When I was a kid you could play like the NCAA football on video games," DeSantis said. "It's like they're using these students' image and they didn't get any money from it. Eventually that became controversial, so they've actually not produced a game in the last six or seven years."

California’s law applies to students at both public and private institutions — but not community colleges — in the nation’s most populous state. While the measure covers all sports, the big money is in football and basketball.

Student athletes won’t get salaries under California's law. But they can't be stripped of their scholarships or kicked off the team if they sign endorsement deals.

The California law doesn't allow student athletes to enter into deals that conflict with their schools’ existing contracts. For example, if a particular university has a contract with Nike, students can’t sign with Under Armour.

The law represents another instance of California jumping out in front of other states when it comes to social and political change. The movement to allow student athletes to profit from their labors on the court or the playing field has been simmering for years, portrayed as a matter of economic fairness and civil rights.

"I think that this is something the Legislature should tackle in this coming session," DeSantis said. "I also say that understanding that of course there are going to be issues that need to be addressed, but I'm confident that those issues could be addressed in a way that maintain college athletics as being a really special thing, but also provide the ability for student athletes to be able to benefit just like anybody else would be able to benefit."

The Associated Press contributed to this article.