California Bill Could Make Pay for Play for College Athletes a Reality

For the past few months, a bill has been brewing in the California legislature that would force local athletic departments to share revenue with players.

The bill, called the “College Athlete Race and Gender Equity Act,” was written by Sen. Steven Bradford and sponsored by the National College Players Association. On Thursday, it’s up for yet another vote in its journey through state bureaucracy.

• The bill says each athlete would receive an equal share of 50% of a sport’s revenue, minus the amount they already receive in aid packages.
• The money would go in a degree completion fund, where athletes would have access to up to $25,000 a year.
• Athletes would receive the rest as long as they finish their degree within six years of enrolling.

The bill specifically says, however, that the payments would not mean athletes would be classified as employees.

California’s NCAA Reform Dynasty

In 2019, the California state legislature passed the nation’s first law making it illegal for the NCAA to prohibit athletes from making money off their name, image, and likeness. Bradford was a co-author, and the NCPA a co-sponsor.

When the bill was passed, the NCAA was forced to change NIL rules to prevent a vastly unequal recruiting landscape, where only athletes in California could participate.

NCPA executive director Ramogi Huma told Front Office Sports the strategy is similar for this new pay-for-play bill. “We’re breaking the cartel,” he said.