K-State Athletic Director “mixed” on NCAA allowing athlete endorsements

MANHATTAN, KAN (KSNT) – In a landmark move, the NCAA’s board of governors is approving a move that will allow athletes to receive compensation for third party endorsements. The new rules also allow athlete compensation opportunities on social media, personal appearances, and businesses they started. K-State’s Athletic Director Gene Taylor feels there will be good and bad with the new changes.

“I’m mixed. I knew we were probably going to head this route just because of the pressure from the state legislative pieces and I’m not sure that everything that’s in there is as clear cut as we’d like it to be,” Kansas State Athletic Director Gene Taylor told KSNT News. “If we don’t put some serious guard rails and some serious specific things of what can and can’t be done in our legislation I think it could really open us up for some more recruiting violations and more uncertainties in the recruiting world in particular.”

Taylor does believe there will be positives as well.

“For an athlete to be able to give lessons or conduct a camp or if they wanted to get money from a social media perspective those things I don’t necessarily have a problem with.” Taylor added, “It’s kind of the new day, and we just kind of have to figure out how to best make it work.”