The National Collegiate Athletic Association board voted Tuesday in favor of allowing all division student athletes to profit off of their “name, image and likeness in a manner consistent with the collegiate model,” according to an NCAA press release.  

Though the board decided unanimously on implementing changes to the current policies in order to “support college sports as a part of higher education,” the NCAA release did not explicitly mention any details regarding these changes. These policy updates must be implemented by January 2021, according to the release. 
A set of specific parameters were also included with the new standards. The press release stated that if modernization took place, universities must: “Make clear the distinction between collegiate and professional opportunities, reaffirm that student-athletes are students first and not employees of the university,” and “assure student-athletes are treated similarly to non-athlete students unless a compelling reason exists to differentiate,” among other requirements.  

University of Oregon Athletics spokesperson Jimmy Stanton said that it is “too early to speculate on the specific impact.” 

Rob Mullens, the University of Oregon’s athletic director, said that UO appreciates “the efforts of the NCAA Board of Governors and the related Working Group in continuing to advance this important issue,” in response to the release. 
The NCAA voted to change the rules less than a month after California voted to pass a new law that allows monetization to student athletes throughout the state. California’s new law is slated to take effect in 2023, according to The New York Times.