Students

Georgia Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Punish Memorabilia Dealers Who Pay Student-Athletes for Autographs

By

In the wake of Todd Gurley's suspension for accepting cash for his autograph, Georgia lawmakers are looking to find a way to punish the memorabilia dealers that knowingly enter similar deals.

According to USA Today College, Rep. Barry Fleming proposed legislation last week that would criminalize soliciting transactions with student-athletes with fines up to $25,000. While accepting compensation of any kind is strictly forbidden by NCAA policy, memorabilia dealers face no consequences even if they set up the arrangement.

Gurley was suspended in Oct. for four games, as the NCAA determined he accepted more than $3,000 in exchange for his autograph on memorabilia items. Bryan Allen, one of the memorabilia dealers who paid Gurley, told ESPN he leaked the story because he wanted to get out in front of anyone trying to "set him up."

"The bill that I have proposed... would basically say that if you entice a scholarship athlete to do something that is improper - and you know that - well, then there can be some penalties against you for doing that," Fleming told USA Today. "It's very similar to the idea that we punish the person who not only buys alcohol underage, but also the guy that sells it to the underage person."

When the University of Georgia caught wind Allen's claims, they put Gurley on indefinite suspension. He missed two games before the NCAA tacked on two more upon completing their investigation.

"There's no secret that athletes have been paid for autographs for a while. It's gone on kind of underground," Fleming said. "This guy was a different animal - some say a rat. He not only paid Todd Gurley to do something they both knew they shouldn't be doing, but he doubled down on his dirty deed by trying to sell his story to the highest bidder in the press."

© 2024 University Herald, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Join the Discussion
Real Time Analytics