LINCOLN, Neb. (KMTV) — A bill that would make Nebraska just the second state to allow college athletes to get paid for their name, image and likeness, got overwhelming support and first round approval in the state legislature Tuesday.
The bill from Senator Megan Hunt would open the door for athletes playing under the NCAA to take money from businesses who want to hire them for any reason, whether it be to teach volleyball lessons in Grand Island, or to put them on a billboard in Omaha.
She says she decided to do this after California passed a similar law in 2019.
"This is a problem we've already recognized in Nebraska and now that we have a blueprint on how to move forward, we have a way to do that," says Hunt.
This comes after the NCAA announced last year, they'll soon allow this to happen.
Hunt says athletes, especially in the more violent sports, suffer injuries in college that take away possible professional income, once their college eligibility expires
"These injuries can have devastating impacts for even star athletes to earn money on their athletic talents," says Hunt.
Senator Ernie Chambers of North Omaha, who’s proposed similar bills since the 1980’s, says the NCAA is corrupt and that oftentimes these players are taking payments anyway.
This would simply allow them to do it openly.
“(The athletes) are the only category of people connected with the university who generate revenue. The professors don't generate it, students don't generate it. Only the athletes,” says Chambers.
But there was a vocal minority who thought it was a bad idea.
Senator John Lowe of Kearney worries conferences like the Big 10 and the Big East could punish the Nebraska schools, hurting their revenue.
Others like Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte believes a scholarship is enough for these athletes.
“You want to go into a big, bad free enterprise system, then do it football players, if you want a free education then stay in college. That's there, but they want it both ways,” says Groene.
Others like Omaha Senator Steve Lathrop had mixed feelings.
He worries donors in big cities, with large media markets, will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to sponsor athletes, putting Nebraska at a disadvantage.
But if the bill becomes law, it wouldn’t go into effect until 2023. He believes this bill is a temporary "vaccine,” making sure Nebraska has an advantage, until Congress acts.
"Something will happen on a federal level and take care of this across the board. That's when it's going to be bad for Nebraska,” says Lathrop.
The bill passed with 36-4 but will need to pass two more rounds of voting before it comes into law.
