The House Governmental Affairs Committee has approved legislation that would prohibit the public from seeing how much student-athletes receive from a public university as part of a revenue sharing deal. New Orleans Representative Candace Newell, who has a nephew on the LSU football team, supports the legislation.
“No one needs to know how much money he makes. Because, although he’s a great athlete, very smart young man and he’s made money, he’s not that mature,” Newell said.
Attorney Scott Sternberg spoke in opposition to the legislation. He’s representing three media members in a lawsuit against LSU seeking information on the revenue share deals. Sternberg says these are public dollars going student-athletes and the public has the right to know how that money is being spent.
“If you have a football coach who has a son is on the team, like our previous coach at LSU, knowing how much that son makes might be interesting,” Sternberg said.
But many lawmakers believe shielding the financials of a revenue sharing deal between a student and the university is best for their safety. Alexandria Representative Ed Larvadain:
“When kids are concerned with what you make and what I make, we’re going to have problems. I don’t want them to be harassed in class. I don’t want them followed. I don’t want them stalked,” Larvadain said.
A federal settlement involving a lawsuit against the NCAA gave universities the ability to pay athletes directly. The Public Affairs Research Council spoke in opposition. PAR president Steven Procopio says athletic departments now receive tax revenue from online gambling, so the taxpayer should have the right to know how the school spends it.
“So let’s be really clear: It is tax dollars going to these purposes. And I can’t see any reason why, if tax dollars touch part of this, that the public does not get the ability to know,” Procopio said.
This bill has now been approved by two different House committees and heads to the House floor for more discussion.
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