The NCAA’s Board of Governors announced today in a press release that it’s moving toward allowing student-athletes to receive compensation for third-party endorsements and promotions. According to the announcement, athletes would be allowed to identify themselves by sport and school, but conference and school logos and other trademarked items would remain prohibited.
The guidelines, which are expected to go into effect when the 2021/22 academic year begins, aren’t a direct response to the NBA recently ramping up its G League developmental program and substantially increasing the amount of money that top high school recruits can make by going the NBAGL route. After all, the NCAA’s new rules will apply to student-athletes across the board, not just basketball players.
Still, top basketball prospects figure to take these forthcoming changes into account as they consider whether to play college ball or take the G League path. The NCAA has historically issued strict penalties for student-athletes found to be accepting even modest benefits — today’s announcement signals that those restrictions are on the verge of loosening to some extent.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Former NBA center Timofey Mozgov, who signed with Russian team Khimki last summer, missed the entire 2019/20 season due to knee issues. However, the club’s sports director, Pavel Astakhov, told Mosregtoday.ru that Mozgov is expected to remain with the team next season and should be healthy enough to play, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays. The NBA permitted the Magic to remove Mozgov’s remaining cap hits from their books after determining that his health issues were likely career-ending.
- Isaiah Whitehead, a Nets guard from 2016-18, has signed a contract extension with BC Mornar Bar, according to agent Misko Raznatovic (Twitter link). The club, which Whitehead joined in January, is based in Montenegro.
- Former NBA guard Tony Wroten and Joventut Badalona have reached an agreement to termine his contract, two months before it was set to expire, the Spanish team announced (via Twitter). It’s unclear what the next step will be for Wroten, who spoke recently about wanting to make it back to the NBA.
Thats my guy! Remember that dude from my old college Seton Hall Isaiah Whitehead. Work your way back in the league bro! I hope he can do it he’s very talented and a very good kid.
AAAAAAHHH TONY WROTEN AGAIN AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!
College athletes should also get gd chunk of jersey sales. Their number their name. The NCAA is still a great place to hone your skills. And an education from a gd school. Is still worth a lot. Considering some of these athletes will make descent to good money. They need all the education they can get. Long time coming.
New rules have winners & losers. Probably the the already-strongest programs will benefit, like Ohio State in a good-sized city. The rich get richer as usual.
Rurally-based teams or teams with lesser reps, not so much. Maybe call them resentful programs that resist such measures.
The Mid-American Conf., the MAC, should consider dropping about half its teams, located in small towns, to Div.1 FCS (Div. 1-AA). I call D1AA the Ficus division to remember it. Few neutral fans care about it but they do get a proper playoff.