California governor signs law allowing college athletes to profit from endorsements

California Gov. Gavin Newsom today signed first-in-the nation legislation that gives college athletes the right to profit from the use of their names, images and likenesses. The new law is scheduled to take effect in 2023.

Washington State Rep. Drew Stokesbary (R–Auburn), introduced similar legislation in Olympia in January and says that's where his Californian counterparts got the idea.

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"A state senator from California, who had seen some of the news coverage reached out to me to find out what we were doing and said that he wanted to do something similar."

Forbes Magazine puts UW football revenues in the top 20 nationwide with an average profit of $43 million a year.

"In today's modern economy… it's unfair, un-American and un-Washingtonian," to refuse to allow college athletes to share in the value they create Stokesbary said.

While the new law doesn't take effect until 2023, California schools can use it now to recruit the nation's best college players.

UW's football coach was asked it if will affect recruiting here, "Um, yeah, absolutely, he responded." I don't know how all this is going to go but, luckily, it's not a problem I have to solve. So good luck, everybody."

Rep. Stokesbary says there's a remedy for the recruiting problem is for Washington to pass legislation that matches California's.

The UW Athletic Department declined to express an opinion on the new California law, but pointed to statements from the Pac-12 football conference and the NCAA.

"We will consider next steps in California while our members move forward with ongoing efforts to make adjustments to NCAA name, image and likeness rules that are both realistic in modern society and tied to higher education," said the NCAA.

"The Pac-12 is disappointed," the organization said. "And believes it will have very significant negative consequences for our student-athletes … This legislation will lead to the professionalization of college sport--."

Cox Media Group