Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley isn't the biggest fan of the NCAA, as indicated by his get-up during Thursday's Rams press conference.
ESPN's Lindsey Thiry got a snapshot of Gurley's shirt on Thursday, which read: N(ot) C(oncerned) A(bout) A(thletes).
Todd Gurley’s shirt 👀 pic.twitter.com/6EouPnRc5f
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) October 10, 2019
Gurley's choice in t-shirts likely stems from California's “Fair Pay to Play” Act that will allow college athletes to be paid starting in 2023, which the NCAA disagrees with. However, he has a history with the much-maligned college athletics organization.
In 2014, as a member of the Georgia Bulldogs, Gurley was given a four-game suspension by the NCAA for accepting cash from multiple individuals in exchange for signed memorabilia. He had to repay a portion of the money received to charity and also serve community service time.
After Gurley's suspension, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed into a law, mocked the “Todd Gurley bill,” that would make it a crime punishable up to a year if student-athletes break NCAA rules.
The NCAA has pushed back on California's new bill to allow student-athletes to be paid, even saying they can end amateur athletics in California if it becomes a law. The NCAA sent California Gov. Gavin Newsome a letter, calling the act to pay amateurs “unconstitutional.”
“If the bill becomes law and California’s 58 NCAA schools are compelled to allow an unrestricted name, image and likeness scheme, it would erase the critical distinction between college and professional athletics and, because it gives those schools an unfair recruiting advantage, would result in them eventually being unable to compete in NCAA competitions,” per Los Angeles Times.
Don't expect tensions between athletes and the NCAA to end anytime soon.
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