— Nebraska appears poised to allow college athletes to sign endorsement deals with sneaker companies, car dealerships and other sponsors after a measure cleared a major hurdle Tuesday in the state Legislature. California last year became the first state to let college athletes use their status to make money, following criticism that universities and athletic sponsors are getting rich off the backs of athletes and not sharing the wealth. Other states are considering similar measures, even though the NCAA has taken steps to address it on a national level. The NCAA haspreviously criticized such measures, arguing that they would destroy the distinction between amateurs and pros. In Nebraska, some lawmakers worried that such policies would eventually give a huge recruiting advantage to states such as Texas or California with large media markets and a lot of big-money sponsors.

Source: Daily Sun February 25, 2020 21:00 UTC