The Latest: NCAA to allow athletes to cash in on their fame
ATLANTA (AP) — The Latest on the NCAA task force’s report on the feasibility of allowing athletes to profit from their names and images (all times local):
1:30 p.m.
The NCAA Board of Governors has taken the first step toward allowing athletes to cash in on their fame. The board voted unanimously on Tuesday to clear the way for the amateur athletes to “benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness.”
The vote came during a meeting at Emory University in Atlanta.
In a news release, board chair Michael V. Drake said the board realized that it “must embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes.”
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2:30 a.m.
A key NCAA task force is expected to provide an update on whether it would be feasible to allow athletes to profit from their names, images and likenesses while still preserving amateurism rules for the nation’s largest governing body for college athletics.
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith and Big East Conference Commissioner Val Ackerman are leading the working group, which will present a progress report to the NCAA Board of Governors at Emory University in Atlanta this week.
It is an important early step in a process that could take months or even years to work its way through the NCAA various layers.
NCAA rules have long barred players from hiring agents and the association has steadfastly refused to allow players to be paid by their schools, with some exceptions. A California law set to take effect in 2023 would prevent athletes from losing their scholarships or being kicked off their teams for signing endorsement deals. Other states could put laws in place earlier than that.
The NCAA says it represents some 450,000 athletes nationwide.
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Tifft to miss final 3 races of NASCAR season after seizure
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Matt Tifft will miss the final three races of the NASCAR season after suffering a seizure at Martinsville Speedway.
Tifft was at Martinsville preparing for the Saturday rookie meeting when he fell ill. He said in a social media post that tests Monday showed a brain tumor he had removed three years ago has not returned.
“Luckily my test results … showed there is nothing there as far as my brain tumor,” Tifft said Tuesday in a video.
Tifft was replaced in the No. 36 Ford for Front Row Motorsports by Matt Crafton at Martinsville. John Hunter Nemechek will make his Cup debut this weekend at Texas in the car and finish the season for Tifft.
“This isn’t the way any driver wants to make their Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut,” Nemechek said. “I am hoping that Matt feels better and can get back in his car as soon as possible. That is what is important. Hopefully I can learn a lot and make Matt, the Front Row Motorsports team and its partners proud.”
Tifft had a brain tumor removed in 2016 but returned to race the next year. He said in January he had been stabilized to the point he needed only annual checkups.
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NFL contest gives fans chance to party with Lombardi Trophy
NEW YORK (AP) — Ever want to party with the Lombardi Trophy? The NFL is giving fans that chance.
The league is launching a “Lombardi in Your Hometown” contest, which will send the NFL’s championship trophy to one winner’s hometown during wild-card weekend in January. The trophy will appear at a watch party for the winner and friends and family before heading to Miami for the Super Bowl in February.
To enter, fans can post a picture or video demonstrating what they’ve done to deserve a chance to lift the trophy and tag @NFL and #NFL100Contest.
“Long before his name symbolized football greatness, my grandfather taught the core belief that the group is greater than the individual and that people grow stronger together through football,” New Orleans Saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi said. “My family is proud that the Lombardi Trophy not only serves to crown Super Bowl champions but will also serve to bring a special set of fans together in one winner’s hometown.”
The contest runs through Nov. 7.
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Bengals bench Andy Dalton, turn to rookie after 0-8 start
By JOE KAY AP Sports Writer
CINCINNATI (AP) — The winless Bengals benched Andy Dalton heading into their bye week, ending his nine-season run as starter so they can start developing rookie Ryan Finley as his potential long-term replacement.
The move came two days after a 24-10 loss to the Rams in London left Cincinnati 0-8 for the first time in 11 years. It’s the first significant roster change under first-year coach Zac Taylor.
Dalton led the Bengals to five straight playoff appearances from 2011-15 but couldn’t get that elusive postseason win. He has one more year left on his contract, and owner Mike Brown said before the start of the season that how well he performed would determine his future.
Finley, a fourth-round pick, confirmed he’ll start against the Ravens in Week 10.
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