Jordan Bohannon speaks out on 'monumental' CA law; wants to see Iowa pass similar bill
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball guard Jordan Bohannon spoke exclusively to CBS2/Fox 28 News about the issue of paying college athletes.
"I watched my brother go to the Final Four, I watched my brother go to the Sweet Sixteen, so I've been around NCAA basketball," Bohannon said.
"I feel like I've been put in a position to speak out about it."
For several decades, the NCAA has prohibited student athletes from making money using their name, image and likeness.
A California law passed earlier this year is set to allow athletes to make money through endorsement deals and other business dealings starting in 2023.
Two Iowa lawmakers are now planning to introduce a similar law in the statehouse come January.
"I'm very excited (about a potential Iowa bill)," Bohannon said on Tuesday, "The articles I've read, they seem like they're really down to get this legislation passed."
Bohannon has been vocal supporter of the California law on Twitter, and of letting college athletes benefit from their image and likeness.
Bohannon has tweeted about the issue multiple times this year, including tweeting directly at the NCAA asking them to give players the ability to make money off their names.
The NCAA issued this statement after the CA law was signed:
As a membership organization, the NCAA agrees changes are needed to continue to support student-athletes, but improvement needs to happen on a national level through the NCAA’s rules-making process. Unfortunately, this new law already is creating confusion for current and future student-athletes, coaches, administrators and campuses, and not just in California.
We will consider next steps in California while our members move forward with ongoing efforts to make adjustments to NCAA name, image and likeness rules that are both realistic in modern society and tied to higher education.
As more states consider their own specific legislation related to this topic, it is clear that a patchwork of different laws from different states will make unattainable the goal of providing a fair and level playing field for 1,100 campuses and nearly half a million student-athletes nationwide.
