Posted on Jul 14, 2021
Last week coach Sonny Lubick addressed the anticipated changes in collegiate sports following the US Supreme Court's ruling on June 21st allowing collegiate athletes to monetize their success by the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL).
 
 
Sonny successfully coached CSU football for 15 years during a time of frequent changes in the CSU Athletic Director position. Sonny credited acting athletic director David Ames for making him "famous" when a 12th game was added to the football schedule with first-ranked Arizona. CSU won that match!
 
Collegiate athletics will experience major changes (perhaps as great as the effect of Title 9 on women athletes). Sonny's opinion regarding pay for collegiate athletes has changed. In the past  student athletes (and their coaches) were happy and content to get full athletic scholarships. But now, in view of millions for coach salaries and many more millions for media contracts many people believe that the "workers" in this system should be paid. Already, the best athletes are looking at NIL contracts that may bring them thousands of dollars. The details of what is legal and what remains illegal is being worked out by individual schools and states - hopefully awaiting federal legislation. Working the details out will require schools to hire agents, lawyers and specialized companies.
 
Under the new rules, schools cannot pay students directly, or use potential income for recruiting, and student ads that promote smoking, gambling or alcohol are off limits. Many questions remain. "Deals" may be "good" or "bad" - who will be liable when things go wrong (the student?). Will big payments to one member of the team affect "team spirit"? Will endorsement opportunities affect recruiting? What about speaker fees for the best athletes? 
 
Many excellent questions followed from the many sports fans in the Rotary Club of Fort Collins.