Grant Delpit Weighs in on California Bill

Things are trending in the right direction for college athletes to start making money off of endorsements and their likeness.

California made a decision on Monday to pass a bill that would allow college athletes in the state to do just that. It won’t be an immediate switch, as it goes into effect in 2023. The state should also expect to receive some backlash from the NCAA, which strictly prohibits exactly what the bill allows.

Star LSU safety Delpit hasn’t dove into the specifics of the bill, which won’t he knows won’t affect him in his time at the university.

“That’s fire if you ask me,” he told us. “We’re in Louisiana, so I know they’re not going to pass that here any time soon. But that opens up a lot of doors while you’re in college. I’m curious to see how it turns out. I’ll let them experiment first.”

But there has hardly been a player more outspoken on the NCAA and problems regarding this particular issue than LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, whose Twitter account is filled with tweets and retweets regarding the compensation of college athletes.

If he was able to cash in on signing jerseys, it’s safe to assume his financial situation would probably look a bit different.

“He’d do pretty well for himself, I’ll tell you that,” Delpit said.

Burrow sees the bill as the right thing to do for student-athletes.

“I think that’s the only fair way to do it,” he said. “I think it’s good to see that people are starting to trend the other way. I think it takes effect in 2023, so I’ll be long gone and even this freshman class will be long gone. But, I think we’re starting to trend in the right direction as far as that.”

Burrow is pleased to see that change is taking place, but knows he’s limited in what he as an individual can do about the matter.

“There’s only so much you can do (as a player),” he said. “The number one thing is that you want to win games, so you don’t want to distract, especially during the season. I think that’s an important issue we have that needs to be taken a look at.”

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron doesn’t necessarily support the players being paid, but wouldn’t mind seeing some further compensation.

“Just gotta follow the rules, whatever they tell us to do. I believe the players should get as much as they possibly can. And am I fan of paying the players, no. But I do -- if there’s a system we can get these guys what they deserve without getting salaries, maybe cost of attendance like they are today and a little bit more, I’m all for that. But I think it’s got to be governed all in the right way. But that’s not for me to decide. My job is to coach football, and whatever they tell me to do, I’m going to do.”

Other player interviews from this week’s availability: