An increasing number of states are headed toward laws allowing college athletes to make money from their name, image and likeness, beginning July 1. Meanwhile, it appears decreasingly likely that Congress and the White House will have a federal equivalent by then.
That means serious conflicts lie ahead for the NCAA, even if it follows through on its strong indications that its rules on the issue will change July 1. These conflicts wouldn’t just be between the states’ laws, they also would be between those laws and the association’s prospective new rules.
In addition, among the six states already set for implementation on July 1, there are at least two in which public schools and private schools in the same state appear to be facing different implications.