New York State Senator Introduces Bill to Pay College Athletes Directly

College Athletes
AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

A state Senator from New York City has introduced a bill to allow the state’s college athletes to earn money from college ticket sales.

Sen. Kevin Parker proposed a bill this week that would require colleges to pay student athletes, according to ESPN.

Parker’s bill would require colleges to give athletes 15 percent of ticket sales to all athletic events.
“It’s about equity,” the Democrat said. “These young people are adding their skill, talent, and labor to these universities. … You don’t need the shortcuts and the end-arounds because now we’re providing some real support for these student-athletes.”

Parker added that he modeled his proposal after the bill that is poised to become law in the State of California.

But the senator’s bill differs from California’s in a critical aspect. Until Parker’s proposal, no other state bill has proposed that colleges pay student athletes directly from the school’s funds.

It isn’t likely that Sen. Parker’s bill will be any more appreciated by the NCAA than California’s. The organization that governs college sports has loudly criticized the California proposal.

The NCAA has already warned California that the state’s colleges could be excluded from the league and will not be allowed to participate in championship tournaments.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.

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