One of the biggest issues in all of sports, especially in recent years, is the argument that college athletes should be compensated for their work. The NCAA is, after all, a billion dollar business, which thrives off the fact that they don’t have to do one simple thing — pay their players.
While coaches receive some big payouts, many current and former players would argue that the amount of sacrifice they put in for their university doesn’t exactly equate to a Bachelor’s Degree. When considering that the school and other outsourced companies are making revenue off of the players’ skill and likeness, you can see why we have a major problem.
Video game companies such as EA Sports have been doing this for years. By using computer-generated names for every player from all 126 college football schools, the company has churned out one of the most successful sports franchises of all time. And guess who’s seeing most of that money? That’s right, the NCAA.
So when these college kids are flat broke on their asses (just like any other college kid) and people are offering them clothes, money and even cars, what do you expect them to do? If word ever comes out of players accepting these “improper benefits,” then they are barred from any team activity and face the risk of losing scholarships. That ain’t right!
But now, luckily for players who are sick of being used like pawns, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has affirmed a lower court’s ruling that Electronic Arts, Inc. (EA Sports), can no longer use the physical likeness of collegiate athletes without compensation. This comes according to Policy Mic.
This was all started when former Arizona State quarterback Samuel Keller sued EA for using his physical likeness without pay. The NCAA Football series has been using player’s exact height, weight, skin tone, home state and jersey number for years now; however, Keller was the first to ever take a stand.
And now, his wish has come true, as EA must now scramble to figure out what to do next. They can’t technically pay the players, as it would be a violation of NCAA rules, so now it’s looking like the series may have to take a permanent hiatus. While this sucks for millions of kids who loved this game (it is a great game), this is just one of many steps that college athletes must take in order to take a stand for their services.
