Texas athletic director: Players should not profit off name, likeness
Texas athletic director Steve Patterson does not believe college players should be paid or allowed to profit off their names and likenesses, according to a story in Texas Monthly.
Patterson said he believes both university and athlete benefit from their relationship in college sports, but that "the university is largely creating the value."
"The athletes are trading on the value the universities have created. No corporations are going to be lining up to pay them money out of high school," he said. "They also get a huge benefit on the college stage by having such assets as strength coaches, nutritionists, psychological support, tutors, mentors, media training. All of that costs money.
It is too easy for those in the sports press to say, ‘You are manipulating and using these kids. You are giving them nothing.’ We are not giving them nothing.”
Patterson also said he believes that paying high-profile football players will create an environment where players from other teams sue the school for equal pay.
Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that starting in July 2016, the NCAA cannot prohibit schools from offering their football and men's basketball players "a limited share of the revenues generated from the use of their names, images, and likenesses."
More: What O'Bannon's victory means for NCAA
The NCAA will still be able to put a cap on the amount of money a player can receive at $5,000, which will be placed in a trust fund until after the player has left school or exhausted his or her eligibility.
- Molly Geary
