Diffusion of Innovations

College athletes have been controlled for many years.  Divison 1 college athletes have been exploited by the NCAA for a very long time.  Recently, the NCAA has decided to allow college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness.  This move is long overdo, but it's better late than never.  The recent move was made because pressure the NCAA was receiving from various parties.  Lakers forward LeBron James and Governor Gavin Newsome have been in support of college athletes receiving pay.  James has not been shy about his opinion.  James tweeted, "Everyone is California- call your politicians and tell them to support SB 206!  This law is a GAME CHANGER.  College athletes can responsibly get paid for what they do and the billions they create."

The Pay to Play Act allows college athletes in the state of California to hire agents and be paid for endorsements.  They will also be allowed to promote products and companies and financially benefit from their college sports activities.  This new law goes into effect in 2023.

The NCAA makes millions, if not millions, then billions of dollars a year on college athletes and the college athletes can nothing.  This is unfair because the student athletes are doing all of the work but the NCAA is the only one benefitting financially.  As an athlete, injury is a very real possibility.  Because of this I feel that athletes should be making money as soon as possible.

I look at a situation like Zion Williamson.  A person of his size and athleticism is unprecedented.  Zion is 6'6'' and to be that heavy and jump as high as he can and move as he can is unnatural and defies physics.  Zion Williamson played basketball at Duke University.  While Williamson is most known for his thunderous dunks, he also is pretty well known for a game in which Duke played UNC Chapel Hill and Williamson busted a hole through his shoe.  He now plays forward for the New Orleans Pelicans but has not played a game yet because of a knee injury caused by the combination of his size, weight and freakish athleticism.  When Williamson made it to the NBA he luckily signed a shoe deal worth about $75 million over 7 years.  However, if Williamson is unable to play in the NBA, he will have missed out a lot of money because of the NCAA's ridiculously controlling rules.

In terms of the Roger's Diffusion of Innovations I'm sure not many people questioned the NCAA, at least at first.  Then, I feel a few people we were refer to as innovators stepped away from the norm and tried to make a change and difference.  This group probably grew into early adopters.  Pushing the narrative, trying to make a difference the early adopters kept growing.  While they may not have been the overwhelming majority, they will be eventually in the diffusion process.  The early majority is slow to adopt.  They tend to be followers seeing the "changing tide" and not wanting to be left out.  The late majority is skeptical and are "late to the party."  The late majority is primarily responding to social pressure they may feel from society.  The fear of missing out or being left out.  The pressure they experience heavily persuades and convinces this group to adopt.  Lastly, there is the laggards.  Laggards ae traditionalists, purists stuck in the past and afraid of change.  And this would be the NCAA, members on the board, etc.  Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations is not specifically about the NCAA and college pay.  It is applicable to many different people in many different situations.

NCAA Rules

Diffusion of Innovations

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