MAJOR

NCAA Will Allow Athletes to Profit From Their Name, Image, and Likeness

The NCAA announced Tuesday it is finally embracing “change.”

The NCAA will allow student-athletes to profit from the use of their name, image, and likeness in a major shift toward embracing “change,” the organization announced on Tuesday.

“We must embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes,” Board of Governors Chairman and Ohio State University President Michael V. Drake said in a statement. “Additional flexibility in this area can and must continue to support college sports as a part of higher education.” The organization’s board of governors unanimously voted during a meeting at Emory University in Atlanta on Tuesday to allow the amateur athletes to “benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness.”

Drake added the decision “is a natural extension of the numerous steps NCAA members have taken in recent years to improve support for student-athletes, including full cost of attendance and guaranteed scholarships.” The organization added it has asked each division to create any new rules beginning immediately, but no later than January 2021.