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NCAA Could Ban California Schools if State Passes Athlete Compensation Bill

The NCAA is warning California politicians that if they continue to push forward with a bill that would allow student-athletes to be compensated for the use of their name and likeness, colleges in the state could be barred from participating in national championships.

According to USA Today, NCAA president Mark Emmert sent a letter to lawmakers asking them to postpone upcoming hearings on the bill, so the organization can review its rules on whether student-athletes are allowed to earn money for the use of their name, image, and likeness.

The NCAA recently created a working group to study the issue of players getting paid for the use of the name, image, or likeness. The group is expected to present its finding to the organization's board of directors in October.

Emmert "implied" that if the bill is passed the NCAA would considering barring universities in the state from competing for national championships because it would be "impossible to host fair national championships."

"Nonetheless, when contrasted with current NCAA rules, as drafted the bill threatens to alter materially the principles of intercollegiate athletics and create local differences that would make it impossible to host fair national championships. As a result, it likely would have a negative impact on the exact student-athletes it intends to assist."

As a result of Emmert's letter, lawmakers added an amendment to the bill that says the legislature will "monitor" the working group and "revisit this issue to implement significant findings and recommendations of the NCAA working group in furtherance of the statutory changes proposed by this act."

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