36 Radford said, wondering how many of today’s players would leave in that environment. Sometimes, criticism is what’s needed, he said.“And I think in hindsight some people realize that. … There are a lot of benefits to having the truth being told.” There are changes Radford would like to see in college athletics. One is some form of insurance for former student-athletes — he is still paying medical bills for conditions from his playing days. And as for those large NIL payments, he said, perhaps those could go in a trust fund. “I didn’t know what to do with money at 17, 18, 19, 20 — maybe up until I was 25, 26 — then the light bulb started coming on,” he said. Radford has enjoyed a long real estate career in Portland and occasionally sits behind the Beaver bench with former teammates. Many live in the Portland area and have remained close, including playing city league basketball together. Radford has also connected with OSU men’s basketball assistant coach Roberto Nelson, ’14, who encourages other former Beavers to be more involved with the program: “Ultimately we’re very pleased to be part of that, and we long for that.” Bunn-Wilson, Beyster and Bumpus remain in contact with former teammates and coaches, too. Those long-term relationships were built over years of games, practices, bus rides, hotel stays, early-morning workouts and the like. Beyster joined a softball program that had been at or near the bottom 1922 The NCAA’s new 10-point code establishes a definition of amateurism, bans freshman eligibility, bans athletes from playing pro football or for non-collegiate teams, limits varsity participation to three years, bars graduate students from play, establishes faculty control of athletics, institutes anti-betting measures and restricts transfers. OSU SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES 1948 The NCAA adopts the “Sanity Code,” a set of rules barring student-athletes from receiving any form of financial aid that is not solely need-based; it also requires student-athletes to meet the same academic standards as non-athlete students. 1951 Because some conferences routinely ignore the Sanity Code and allow non-need-based financial assistance for student-athletes, the NCAA concludes that it is unenforceable and abandons the Sanity Code. 1956 Student-athletes are allowed to receive athletic scholarships without regard for their academic ability or financial hardships. 1975 The NCAA updates its regulations, limiting scholarships to tuition, books, and room and board. It also eliminates a monthly $15 payment for “incidental expenses” and any payment for a student’s course-related supplies. 1984 In a 7-2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court declares that the NCAA’s control of college football television broadcast rights violates the Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Acts. The ruling gives member schools more autonomy to negotiate broadcast rights agreements, leading to networks paying more for television rights. 1990 The NCAA starts a Special Assistance Fund of $3 million annually that student-athletes can use for special needs such as babysitters, clothing or trips home to visit sick parents (up to $200 per athlete). The $3 million is shared among the NCAA’s 33 Division I conferences. 2009 Former UCLA basketball standout Ed O’Bannon is a plaintiff in a class-action suit against the NCAA. O’Bannon and the other plaintiffs claim that a bestselling EA Sports video game used their likenesses without consent or compensation. 2014 Northwestern University football players petition the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to classify them as employees and permit them to unionize and directly benefit from commercial opportunities. The NLRB petition is unsuccessful, but the NCAA and member schools are put on notice about limiting the monetization of name, image or likeness (NIL) by student-athletes. 2015 Federal district and appellate courts uphold the arguments of O’Bannon and the other plaintiffs, ruling that the NCAA’s amateurism rules are an unlawful restraint of trade. As a result, the NCAA increases the grant-in-aid limit to the full cost of attending school, also allowing up to $5,000 per year in additional compensation. 2019 California becomes the first state to pass NIL legislation. The “Fair Pay to Play Act” prohibits the NCAA or member schools from punishing student-athletes who earn NIL compensation. The new measure is set for enactment in 2023. 2020 Colorado, Florida, Nebraska, New Jersey and several other states pass laws permitting college student-athletes to monetize their NIL. New regulations are scheduled for enactment in 2022 and 2023. 2021 In NCAA vs. Alston, the U.S. Supreme Court rejects an NCAA appeal of its antitrust lawsuit, finalizing the lower court decision that the NCAA is not exempt from antitrust regulations. This allows additional academic-related compensation for student-athletes. The NCAA quickly adopts an interim NIL policy allowing, for the first time, student-athletes to benefit financially from their name, image and likeness without fear of NCAA penalty. 2022 The NCAA Board of Directors issues guidance to member schools, reinforcing a prohibition on offering potential NIL arrangements to student-athletes as a recruiting incentive. 2025 A settlement is reached in the 2020 lawsuit House vs. NCAA. The terms allow schools, for the first time, to directly pay student-athletes. It also orders schools to make back payments to thousands of student-athletes who have competed since 2016. HOW “PAY FOR PLAY” EVOLVED How did the “Sanity Code” evolve into almost anything goes? ↓ An early 1900s Beaver football player runs with Waldo Hall in the background.
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