Let the endorsements begin.
A new era of college sports commenced at the strike of midnight on July 1, as athletes became eligible to sign third-party endorsement deals, receive payment for autograph signings and appearances, and do a slew of other activities that have long been considered taboo as it relates to amateurism.
Remarkably, the sun still rose.
“I think it’s great,” Toledo men’s basketball coach Tod Kowalczyk said. “If there’s an opportunity for them to capitalize off of their name, image, and likeness, it’s a very reasonable thing for them to get paid for. The universities that adapt and look at this as a positive will benefit.