<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583773947682.png" alt=" The Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation. The school's athletics director says that if other schools have laws about endorsement deals and Kansas does not, KU would be "at a disadvantage." Erica Hunzinger / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> The Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation. The school's athletics director says that if other schools have laws about endorsement deals and Kansas does not, KU would be "at a disadvantage." Erica Hunzinger / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>BY STEPHEN KORANDA, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/kansas-might-let-college-athletes-make-money-their-fame-through-endorsement-deals#stream/0">Kansas News Service</a>TOPEKA, Kansas — If Kansas lawmakers pass a bill 
allowing student-athletes to make money off endorsements, you might see 
the next five-star KU or K-State basketball recruits selling cars, shoes
 or soda.<a href="http://www.sfltimes.com/sports/ncaa-presses-senate-for-guardrails-on-athlete-pay" target="_blank">Dozens of states</a>, including <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/measures/sb474/" target="_blank">Kansas</a>, <a href="https://www.ozarksfirst.com/local-news/local-news-local-news/both-parties-support-paying-college-athletes-in-missouri/" target="_blank">Missouri </a>and <a href="https://oklahoman.com/article/5651462/oklahoma-legislator-files-bill-to-pay-college-athletes" target="_blank">Oklahoma</a>, are thinking about changing the rules since the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/10/29/774439078/ncaa-starts-process-to-allow-compensation-for-college-athletes" target="_blank">NCAA said</a>
 in October that it will eventually allow student-athletes to be paid 
for their name, image and likeness. These bills are stopgaps, aimed at 
putting rules in place should there be a period of time before national 
rules are approved by the NCAA or Congress.It’s a question that’s been problematic for the NCAA for years; in 2016, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/04/us/politics/supreme-court-declconsider-ncaa-rules-on-paying-athletes.html" target="_blank">U.S. Supreme Court declined</a> to take up an antitrust suit filed by a former UCLA basketball player. California took matters into its own hands last year <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB206" target="_blank">with a law</a> to let students profit off their likeness, though it doesn't take effect until 2023.Currently,
 student-athletes are ruled ineligible if they make money on 
endorsements. Missouri U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver has proposed <a href="https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/rep-cleaver-to-propose-law-requiring-colleges-to-pay-student-athletes" target="_blank">a national rule</a>
 that would have colleges directly pay athletes. The Kansas plan doesn’t
 go as far, instead allowing money from outside endorsement contracts.Emporia
 State University President Allison Garrett urged Kansas lawmakers to 
approve the bill, but ultimately hopes it never has to take effect.“This
 legislation in Kansas makes sense at this time,” Garrett said, “but the
 hope would be that there is that federal legislation.”It’s a 
sort of begrudging endorsement from the schools. Kansas State University
 Athletic Director Gene Taylor wants to keep up the current system, in 
which student-athletes aren’t allowed outside endorsements deals.“We
 would prefer no rules, honestly,” Taylor said. “Just let us continue 
that this scholarship is valuable enough. But that’s not the direction 
this is going, so we have to move forward.”The colleges don’t 
want to be on the cutting edge, where they might run afoul of NCAA rules
 and trigger punishments from the league. But they also don’t want to be
 left behind if other states allow endorsement deals.To walk that tightrope, <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/measures/sb474/" target="_blank">Kansas’ bill</a>
 includes a trigger: It would only legalize outside endorsement deals 
for student-athletes after 15 other states have similar laws.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583774008806.png" alt=" Emporia State University President Allison Garrett (left, KU Director of Athletics Jeff Long (center) and Kansas State Athletics Director Gene Taylor testified in support of a bill that would allow student-athletes to be paid for endorsements. Credit Stephen Koranda / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> Emporia State University President Allison Garrett (left, KU Director of Athletics Jeff Long (center) and Kansas State Athletics Director Gene Taylor testified in support of a bill that would allow student-athletes to be paid for endorsements. Credit Stephen Koranda / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>For schools in Kansas, the concern is that recruiting won’t be easy 
if other states allow athletes to make money but Kansas doesn’t.“I
 think it gets very tough,” University of Kansas Director of Athletics 
Jeff Long said. “Without this bill passing, we would be placed at a 
disadvantage.”The discussion comes at a time when KU <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/ku-denies-wrongdoing-response-ncaas-charges-recruiting-violations" target="_blank">is being investigated</a>
 for potential NCAA recruiting violations. It’s based on federal court 
testimony in which Adidas representatives said they made payments to 
recruits. The school didn’t address the allegations during a legislative
 hearing in Topeka, but <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2020/03/05/kansas-objects-to-ncaa-charges-in-response-to-allegations/111397794/" target="_blank">told the NCAA</a> that the agents weren’t working on behalf of KU.Garrett wants to see enough controls in a Kansas law so the endorsement deals aren’t used as part of recruiting.Lawmakers
 could take action on the bill later this session or continue work next 
year, according to Republican Sen. Julia Lynn, who chairs the Senate 
Commerce Committee.Lynn said there are still a variety of details to work out, including how the endorsement deals would be taxed.“Collegiate athletics is very complex. There are multiple layers there,” she said. “The money is really big in this issue.”Republican
 Sen. Molly Baumgarnder wants to make sure there are enough protections 
in the bill, so athletes and their families know what they’re getting 
into with endorsement deals, especially when it comes to high school 
recruits.“Agents are going to be flocking to high schools to try
 and enter into that contract,” Baumgarnder said. “How do the high 
school counselors, how do the high school coaches help that student that
 might be embarking on that next step?”Smaller private schools, 
who aren’t major players in the recruiting game like KU, K-State and 
Wichita State are, are concerned about the types of endorsements that 
might be made available.Some of the 20 schools in the Kansas 
Independent College Association have faith traditions that disapprove of
 alcohol and don’t allow it on campus.But under the bill, the schools wouldn’t have any say in outside endorsement deals.“A
 student-athlete could share his or her likeness with a beer company and
 the institution would have no power to limit such a contract,” KICA 
President Matt Lindsey told lawmakers.Stephen Koranda is the Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/kprkoranda">@kprkoranda</a>.

Kan. might let college athletes make money off their fame