College athletes decry possible delay in compensation law

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Just when some college athletes in Florida were readying to cash in on their athletic prowess, the state’s Legislature has unexpectedly delayed their ability to hire agents and ink endorsement deals.

The curve ball came in a tiny last-minute amendment inserted into an education bill in the waning days of Florida’s legislative session.

“Are we serious right now?? That little black line in a bill with more than 70 pages to continue to screw all these athletes?? Make it make sense,” tweeted McKenzie Milton, the quarterback at Florida State University, home to some of the country’s most heralded collegiate teams.

That amendment, tucked into more than 70 pages of legislation on Wednesday, went undetected by some lawmakers — including the Florida lawmaker who sponsored a bill last year allowing college athletes in Florida to profit from their name, image and likeness much like celebrities do.

That law was supposed to take effect in two months, but the amendment would instead delay the law from being implemented until July 2022.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, a former college baseball player, championed the ability of college athletes to make money from their names.

“Our universities and the NCAA profit millions of dollars off our names,” D’Eriq King, the quarterback for the University of Miami’s football team, said in a tweet. “I believe that athletes deserve to receive compensation for our Name, Image, and Likeness.”