TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law a bill that will allow college-athletes in Florida to get paid for their image and likeness next year.
Starting in July 2021, NCAA college-athletes can sign paid endorsement deals. The move makes Florida the first state to give student athletes these rights.
Speaking at the University of Miami in Coral Gables on Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said it's an "important thing" for college athletes to receive compensation.
"We're not talking about, you get a scholarship to Florida State and Miami and the universities are gonna pay you to play. That's not what we're talking about," DeSantis said. "But if you have a situation where you have some of the great athletes, particularly in sports like football and basketball, whose name, image, and likeness is being used to make millions and millions of dollars, and they don't have the opportunity to get any of that, there's something fundamentally unfair for that."
While the students will not be paid for playing the sport, they will be able to ink paid deals for things like advertising and merchandise. Scholarships and financial aid will not be unaffected by the new law.
DeSantis said the finer details need to be hashed out by the Florida Board of Governors, and athletes from all sports will have the opportunity to receive compensation for the use of their name, image, or likeness.
You can watch the full press conference below:
