SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side, or you can find the poll embedded at the bottom of this post.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers to weigh in on the effects of letting student-athletes earn name/image/likeness money:
RESULTS
Question: The NCAA allowing student-athletes to earn profit from their names, images and likenesses would be:
- Good for all student-athletes, including swimmers – 60.7%
- Good for revenue sport athletes, but bad for swimmers – 31.1%
- Bad for all student-athletes – 8.2%
Despite a lot of discussion about possible side affects to non-revenue sports, more than 60% of voters said allowing student-athletes to earn money from their names, images, and likenesses would be good for all student-athletes, not just those in revenue sports.
The issue revolves around NCAA amateurism rules, which currently prevent NCAA student-athletes from earning money based on their status as student-athletes. What’s at stake currently is not schools directly paying athletes – it’s athletes being allowed to make money for things like endorsements, appearances, clinics, lessons, or even non-athletic-related side businesses without jeopardizing their NCAA eligibility. A law passed in California would lift those restrictions, though the NCAA has suggested it may have to ban California schools when the law takes effect in 2023.
There’s fairly universal agreement that loosening the current rules on NIL (name, image, likeness) earnings would benefit athletes in revenue-producing sports. 91.8% of voters said it was either good for all student-athletes or good for revenue sport student-athletes. Only 8.2% believed lifting NIL restrictions would be bad for student-athletes all-around.
Meanwhile almost a third of voters (31.1%) say the new rules would benefit athletes in revenue sports (who stand to make the most money) while hurting swimmers. Some suggest that loosening the rules will cause schools to funnel resources even further into revenue sports at the expense of non-revenue sports, leading to the cutting of swimming & diving programs.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks voters if Ryan Lochte will make the U.S. Olympic Team next summer:
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ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE
The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner