Division 1 scholarship college athletes are unable to earn money while participating in amateur athletics. However, there are also rules in place that prevent players from turning professional when they so, please>.
This brings up the discussion of whether or not it is fair to athletes that the NCAA prevents college athletes from turning pro to earn money, as they also can’t profit while still in school. The place to start in this conversation is what athletes need to do in order to be eligible for professional leagues – it differs from sport to sport.
Baseball: Athletes can be drafted directly from high school. However, if they choose to go to college, they can’t go pro until after their junior year.
Football: High school football players can not turn professional. All athletes must be removed from high school for at least three years.
Basketball: Athletes cannot be drafted directly from high school. Players must be at least one year removed from high school and be 19 years or older. This means they can either play a year professional overseas or go to college for at least one year.
It wasn’t always this way though – at least in basketball. In the past, high school players weren’t required to go to college. For example, LeBron James was drafted directly from St. Vincent-St. Mary’s in 2003.
There is a chance these rules will be changed in the future for college athletes, but what can college athletes do to protect themselves in the meantime? One of the best options is to secure an insurance policy. Athletes should seek the assistance of a sports attorney to ensure the policy meets their needs. Before this college football season, Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater took out a $10 million insurance policy to protect against injury and future lost earnings.
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