Not a mistake at all IMO, but if anything it doesn't go far enough. Time to drop the student athlete charade altogether.

This will take some time it won't happen straight away.

They'll more than likely have to distribute evenly across all rostered players so this might not be that much money once its all said and done.

Let be frank thou this is about making sure the NBA doesn't get rid of the USA based players age restriction rule.

The door is opening to allow payments for NCAA college athletes to earn $ from marketing their image etc. This follows a California court ruling a few weeks ago to allow payments from 2023. The NCAA is now saying 2021 for payments "consistent with the collegiate model". I guess that means a raft of regulations to come to ensure no reduction in the level of playing fields (maintaining fair competition across/between conferences) or undue incentives to lure players to particular rosters? However, it is very hard to predict where the NCAA will land with this but this statement is a positive step for basketballers.

As opposed to a push to pay basketballers for playing, which would re-direct NCAA funds away from other athletic programs to individual basketballers, payments for marketing should not detrimentally affect other athletes.

See link: https://www.thescore.com/wcbk/news/1866317/ncaa-opens-door-for-athletes-to-profit-from-name-image-likeness

"Why not? If the NCAA is profiting off these kids and their athletic ability, why should some of that money not go to them?" anon ~041 above.

I also think they shouldn't be paid. The NCAA is a not-for-profit organisation. They make money from 3 or 4 sports (mens basketball, football, baseball, hockey?) which then subsidises the other 40 sports. If they pay mens basketballers then there is less for the other sports athletes. Basketballers are fortunate that they have the opportunity to play professionally post college which most other athletes do not have. They do incredibly well now, without also paying them at the expense of others. If basketballers get paid then there will be other athletes who wont get their college opportunity which is what it is all about.

I realise that many on this forum are focussed on basketball and believe they should be paid. However, I think the bigger picture needs to be considered - the money needs to come from somewhere.

"Still the NBL is a slight steep up from the NCAA and could still be a good place to showcase young talent to the nba scouts."

I don't understand this 'slight' stuff. Have to remember all the kids on a NCAA bench end up doing other things with their life instead of basketball, 1 out of 100 might maybe make NBA, and maybe the 2nd and 3rd options on the best teams might make Europe or NBL. The step up from college and NBL is much bigger than slight.

" The NCAA is a not-for-profit organisation "

College coaches and team managers certainly make a profit

"floodgates"

5 guys. Only 2 who were eligible for college.

Letting players get paid is obvious. Most people at uni work to get money and study, The basketball IS the work.

Implementation is interesting, perhaps players can be given the same amount based on year? Freshman, sophomore etc different levels of pay

Yeah allowing sponsorships seems to be the easiest way. Their are cons to that though.

Local sponsors saying "we will give you this much in sponsorship if you choose this college" means the bigger schools are likely to get an even bigger cut of the top players.

Secondly, sponsorships to players could affect overall sponsorships to colleges, meaning the schools are making less money and less able to run programs etc.

Not saying either of these are catastrophic, but there's no plan that doesn't have its downsides.

For the record I think players should be able to receive payment in someway if someone thinks they're worth that. I don't know what plan I would favour, but I think there needs to be some provision for payment.

Depending on the deal is it fair for a Zion to earn millions while the 8th man on the roster doesn't earn at all?

As these guys are one/done the income generated for sales likeness etc might not happen until they've left the University particularly around the video games.

There is alot to be considered but hopefully it a fair and reasonable system that takes into account that the education they get over the 4 years isn't free but we also can't have these guys so poor that they can't eat!

The NCAA still has a pretty big following and if the big schools make tourney runs the ratings are very good.

The NBA doesn't have the loyal alumni support that the NCAA has with the NBA ratings falling consistently year on year in the USA so one and done won't be the end of the NCAA

What is being overlooked here is that some of the elite talent have no interest in studying at University. They do not want to have the task of achieving minimum grades to be NCAA eligible. Didn't Ben Simmons miss some games because he didn't satisfy some academic requirements at LSU? Even if the NCAA allow students to be paid there will still be some who can't stand the thought of further study after high school. As long as there is a year between the NBA draft and the final high school year there will be players interested in the next star NBL program.

The NCAA will still be fine even without the one and done guys.

What is it maybe a couple dozen guys who leave after one year? And how many of those are SURE they're going to only do one year? I mean sure guys like Zion and RJ Barrett knew, but there's other guys who get injured in year one or just don't have that impact as a Freshman who stay on for another year or sometimes more.

Most college teams play with no future NBA players and still get good crowds and good TV audience. Some will argue it will be better as you'd end up getting guys who play college who WANT to be there.

Not saying it wouldn't mean the NCAA taking a hit of some kind, but their success is about more than a couple dozen guys a year.

The Next Stars program was always going to be niche and as it stands, still barely makes an impact among college eligible athletes.

If the NBA and/or NCAA change the rules around their eligibility the small niche for the Next Stars program is done.

Be interesting to see what they mean by "consistent with the collegiate model"? Does that mean they want to pool the funds?

"I said floodgates openING "

Fair.

I still say it would never have been more than niche even with the changes.

It is not for profit. That's why the coaches get paid so much, the money has to be spent somewhere so they can avoid profiting.

Not for profits do pay people to work lol, unless of course you're ncaa profiting from athletes working and not paying them

'Not-for-profit' organisations can make profits - it's just that they return them to their members. The NCAA make over $1billion per year, mostly from the basketball march madness tv rights. You can be sure that what ever happens to player marketing payments that it wont be putting at risk the TV rights value of the basketball championship. The NCAA returns the $1 billion to their members aths depts and students in facilities and scholarships (across all sports).

The 350 NCAA D1 schools make about $10 billion per year from college athletics, mainly from football local TV rights and gate takings and basketball a distant second contributor. The colleges pay the coaches the big money, and invest in facilities to attract the best talent to win championships (organised by the NCAA).

If College athletes get paid based on the money that they make for their college then the footballers would take the lion share and the basketballers get the scraps and the other sports get nothing. I think the current system, which allocates profits across 40 sports and not 2 has a lot going for it.

There are about 5000 D1 college basketballers, and about 1% make the NBA.

As an aside, when my daughter attended D1 college, the local College basketball team attracted bigger crowds than the local NBA team. Don't underestimate the support for the NCAA vis-à-vis the NBA.

College teams have been paying under the table payments to players and their families for donkey years.

Losing a few stars to the NBL isn't the issue.

To make it legal for players to get paid takes out the corruption and the NCAA will look better in a marketing sense.

Plus, the NBA is looking to run their own development league and therefore, making NCAA a waste of time for star players.