State senate proposal unfair

By Editorial

The "Student Athletes' Bill of Rights" would devastate collegiate sports in California if passed.

There are items in the bill that the NCAA should change, such as health insurance for "voluntary" practices. Everyone knows that a summer workout or practice deemed "optional" really isn't optional for a college athlete, unless you want to risk losing your position and/or playing time. The NCAA should compensate for that, which is exactly what they are working toward. However, this bill is being pushed through too fast without allowing the NCAA time to run its course.

While there are few athletes, say a high-profile football or basketball player, who could financially benefit from having an agent or might profit from putting his or her name on a jersey in the campus book store, the thousands of other athletes who play sports like water polo, volleyball, cross country, baseball, golf and tennis wouldn't see any dividends whatsoever from the licensing rule.

The bottom line is that most college athletes play college sports to win national titles, not for financial reasons. If this bill passes and California is forced to disband from the NCAA, the aspirations of these athletes goes down the drain. And it's all for the purpose of a few changes, some of which are already in the works to be done by the NCAA.

It's asinine that senators Kevin Murray and John Burton would even consider sponsoring something that would destroy NCAA membership throughout California, regardless of their egalitarian intent.