For years, one of the most controversial topics in college sports was the fact that colleges, universities, corporations, and television networks made billions of dollars off of the games that college athletes played in, but the athletes themselves walked away with nothing.

Historically, student-athletes would get penalized for anything that smacked of monetary compensation when it came to their chosen sports, but everyone looked the other way as everyone else in the college sports world was minting money.

The past few years have seen massive and sweeping changes made in the student athletes' rights movement.

The National College Players Association Claims Unfair Labor Practices

In February 2022, the National College Players Association went to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and filed an unfair labor practices suit against the NCAA, USC, and UCLA as employers of Division 1 women's and men's basketball teams as well as single and joint employers of FBS football players.

The association brought the suit because it's fighting for players to have employee status, ultimately giving them the rights enjoyed by any company employee.

The Athletes' Rights Movement is Gaining Momentum

This lawsuit is simply the latest in a string of moves made in the past few years that have resulted in a dramatic shift in the way that the NCAA operates. Historically, the NCAA has declared that players in college leagues were “student athletes” and not employees, eliminating the opportunity for them to receive any sort of compensation for playing or for their likenesses.

In 2021, the United States Supreme Court decided against the NCAA when it unanimously ruled that the NCAA was not allowed to enforce rules that limited education-related benefits colleges gave to athletes.

The ruling opened the door to sweeping changes in the way that the NCAA operates. It enabled athletes and their representatives to challenge the NCAA's anti-competitive practices and the opportunity for athletes to be financially compensated.

States Have Passed Laws Allowing Players to Be Compensated

Before and after the Supreme Court ruling, many states passed legislation allowing student-athletes to finally earn compensation. California was the first to do so in 2019 when it passed the Fair Pay to Play Act. While the language varies by state, the unifying goal with all of this legislation has been to allow students to begin receiving compensation for the images, likeness and names.

Work With an Attorney Who Understands Your Rights as a Student-Athlete

Gone are the days when student-athletes had no right to compensation. You may be in a situation where you're wondering what your rights are when it comes to your role as a student-athlete.

Attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm have years of experience representing students and student-athletes in all types of cases, helping ensure their rights are protected whether they're dealing with a university or a sports league.

Reach out to Joseph Lento and his expert team at 888-535-3686 so that you can get an evaluation of your case. Times are changing for student-athletes, and you should get what's yours.