CBS Sports' Jon Solomon recently interviewed numerous college football players from the ACC and SEC to gather their thoughts on the now defunct EA SPORTS NCAA Football franchise. Regardless of their thoughts on whether they should be paid for name and likeness use, Solomon found that many want the game to return someway, somehow.
Changes still need to be made, whether within the NCAA or within conferences, should they be given the autonomy to decide their own policy for name and likeness usage. ACC Commissioner John Swofford believes we will be under the current structure for three to five years as legal issues are ironed out, though the conference is currently working on their own name and likeness release form. NC State Athletic Director Debbie Yow believes the Power 5 conferences will address the issue if/when the NCAA grants them the ability next month to determine some of their own NCAA rules.
Some excerpts from the article:
Here's the kicker of the video-game debate. Many current ACC and SEC players interviewed for this article say not only are they unaware they could eventually be paid for past video game appearances, they say they don't care about being paid.
They just want their video game back.
"I listened to somebody argue about it on YouTube (whether players should be paid for their NILs)," Virginia Tech defensive tackle Luther Maddy said. "There was a lot of good points about why they should, but for the most part, it's just a fun game. I don't think you deserve to get money just because you're on the game."
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If the NCAA's new governance structure passes, college athletes in the Power 5 conferences would have 15 of the 80 votes for creating certain types of legislation. [Georgia wide receiver Chris] Conley [Conley, a member of the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee] said athletes need to leverage their voices on issues, such as NILs, by effectively speaking up more.
"A lot of people will get into their last two years of college and say when this stuff changes, it's not going to affect me," Conley said. "What they have to realize is the people behind them are going to benefit. They'll see your sacrifice and what you've done and they'll start working on those things earlier on the front end."
But, Conley cautioned, athletes can't think they know what every athlete wants without polling them to see what they really think.
Maddy, the Virginia Tech defensive tackle, just wants his NCAA Football game back. He didn't realize it was definitely gone in 2014 until a reporter told him.
"I thought that was just a thought," Maddy said. "Man, that's crazy. That was the game I played the most. That's what I was best at."
UPDATE: Players from more conferences respond to media day questions on NCAA Football. No surprise - the vast majority wish the game would have continued on, as it was.
Cleveland.com - "Do college players, even without compensation, wish EA Sports still made the NCAA football video game? Big Ten survey"
Hustlebelt.com - "With EA Sports NCAA Football Franchise In the Past, Will MAC Players Miss It?"
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