Proposal Seeks Compensation for Amateur College Athletes
Lincoln – College and university athletes could earn income under a bill heard by the Business and Labor Committee Feb. 3.
LB 962, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt, would allow college athletes at public and private schools to earn money from their name, image and likeness rights.
Only 2% of college and university athletes will go on to play professionally, Hunt said.
“Student athletes are the only college students who are prohibited from earning an income for their skills and talents,” Hunt said. “LB 962 is about the right of every student to work, to participate in the free market and have the same freedoms as their peers on college and university campuses.”
Jeremiah Sirles, who played football both at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and at the professional level, spoke in support of the bill. Student athletes received monthly stipends of roughly $750 to cover living costs, he said, but many athletes sent large percentages of that stipend home to support their families.
Garrett Klassy, UNL senior deputy athletic director, testified in a neutral capacity. The university already is discussing athlete compensation for name and likeness, he said, but the issue is best handled at the federal level.
– Nebraska Unicameral Information Office
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