RANDY PETERSON
Peterson: Nebraska and Iowa's name, image, likeness differences emphasize why NCAA must start doing its job
Our neighbor to the west gets it.
Nebraska's college athlete name, image and likeness bill allows them to receive endorsement money immediately. It treats that state's athletes like the adults they are. It gives them the right to make adult decisions.
If they want to profit off their popularity now — then go for it.
A similar bill being considered in the Iowa Legislature says that college athletes "may be required to deposit some or all funds received into a trust fund, with all applicable state taxation deferred until the athlete is no longer eligible to participate in the institution's athletic program."
In other words, Iowa legislators want to act as a parent, forcing a child to put money in a piggy bank that can't be cracked until the kid becomes an adult.
We take the money now. You get it when your eligibility expires.
Hmmmmm.
"To me, what this bill is about, is aligning the student-athlete with the rest of the population," Nebraska state Sen. Megan Hunt (D-Omaha) said during a phone conversation with The Register this week. "You'd not force a journalism student or an economics major to put money away. We're talking about the free market.
"A big reason NCAA athletes sometimes are put in positions that they take deals under the table is because they're in a position of economic need. They need money now."
The easy fix for this significant difference — and I'm sure there are many differences within the 20 or so name, image and likeness bills currently floating around the nation —is for the NCAA to finally step up and do its job.
It's time for the high-brow people who run college sports to stop counting the millions, and maybe billions, they make off the colleges they are supposed to oversee.
It's time they make a decision.
And it's beyond time that they mandate all states play by the same name, image and likeness rules. If you thought recruiting was the Wild, Wild West back in the day ... you ain't seen nothin' yet.
Once this rule passes in every state — and it will in due time — big-buck local businessmen with endorsement opportunities will be just as important as an assistant coach whose role includes recruiting coordinator.
Border states, especially, need the same rules. The back-and-forth nastiness that already exists will be amped up even more.
Picture this: A four-star Iowa high school football recruit narrows his choice to playing for either Iowa State, Iowa or Nebraska. Recruiters talk to parents, guardians, high school coaches — anyone the athlete listens to — about the merits of attending their school.
It's a chance to play close to home. It's an opportunity to star in a Power Five conference and a chance to get a wonderful education.
"But what's out there from an endorsement standpoint?" the recruit asks.
"Hang on," the coach responds while digging into his briefcase. "Here's a list of opportunities."
If you don't think that'll happen, then you're naïve in this cutthroat recruiting world.
That scenario will be the norm — with this caveat from the Nebraska side:
If you successfully line up an endorsement deal, you get the money now. If you want to bank some of it, that's fine, of course. But that's your choice. You're an adult. You can manage your own money.
"Why can we trust every other college student to manage their money (but not athletes)?" Hunt said.
But remember, if you chose an Iowa school, there's a chance all or part of your endorsement earnings will go into a trust fund managed by the state, as its bill currently stands. There's even a chance that you can't touch your money until your eligibility has expired from that college.
Everything else being equal, it's the difference between getting your money now in Nebraska, or getting it later in Iowa.
Come on, NCAA. Do the right thing.
Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson has been writing for the Des Moines Register for parts of five decades. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, 515-284-8132, and on Twitter at @RandyPete. No one covers the Cyclones like the Register. Subscribe today at DesMoinesRegister.com/Deal to make sure you never miss a moment.