Through the Lens of James Velissaris - How Things are Changing for College Athletes
Athletes that participate at college are active and occupied all the time but never get enough returns for the hard work that they put in. While college athletes get the recognition they deserve, it is made possible only now for them to actually get monetary benefits from what they do. The NCAA has now allowed the athletes to get paid for the time and effort they invest in the sport. College athletes welcome this change with open arms as they finally get tangible returns from their perseverance.
As per the new regulatory order, college athletes are now allowed to take up advertisement assignments, be compensated for their sporting skills and also take up paid content assignments. Former college athletes like James Velissaris are of the belief that it is absolutely rightful for the college athletes to get paid for their work. The Rule That Got Ditched: The rule that was in action before the college athletes were allowed to accept compensation for their skills was that they could not charge money for endorsements or their skills in general. The rule had survived through all this time since the players playing for colleges were not professional players and were considered to be still developing their skills. The NCAA’s stand was that the scholarships or other incentives that the players earned from their stints as college athletes sufficiently compensated for their work. However, after the athletic association body changed the rules, the college athletes can now get paid for their NIL, which is the use of their Name, Images or Likeness (NIL). This is a 360o change from the association’s stand of revoking athletes’ statuses if they received payments for their role as players. Ways in Which College Athletes Can Earn from their Work: Athletes can choose to use their NIL and make money out of it, apart from enjoying the fame that they get from it. This implies that the college athletes do not have to worry about losing their eligibility as players when they choose to gain any kind of returns for their skills, either financial or of any other kind. The athletes playing for college can now air sponsored content on their social media handles on the web or take up actual endorsements of companies in the capacity of college players. The players can even create or feature in videos that are hosted on video platforms like YouTube or social platforms of any kind. The college athletes can also be hired as trainers or they can sell merchandise that features their NIL in any way. Professionals that have been in the shoes of college athletes such as James Velissaris feel glad that the players have complete freedom to make as much use of the rule as they want to through all sorts of paid activities that they are comfortable taking up. Players can decide on what kind of companies and brands they want to tie up with for the endorsements that they take up. It is also possible for the athletes to rely on professional agencies to get them the most fruitful and viable deals for the use of their NIL.
