Abstract:
The commercialization of sport has transformed the landscape of college athletics. As a non-profit organization, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regulated competition between colleges and universities on principles like amateurism. But college athletics has boomed into a billion-dollar business while the NCAA clings to outdated policies, which restrict student-athletes from marketing their name, image, and likeness. O'Bannon v. NCAA, however, threatens to break the hold that the NCAA has over the rights of student-athletes. A victory in O'Bannon puts student-athletes closer to receiving the compensation they deserve. The NCAA's policies are overly restrictive, and more about profit of the NCAA than the wellbeing of its student-athletes. This paper considers the NCAA's arguments against allowing compensation for name, image, and likeness, and analyzes the shortcomings of these assertions.
