COLLEGE ATHLETICS: NCAA clears athletes for compensation as state laws kick in

  • The NCAA logo is displayed as work continues at The Consol Energy Center for the NCAA Tournament on March 15, 2015, in Pittsburgh. The NCAA Board of Directors is expected to greenlight one of the biggest changes in the history of college athletics when it clears the way for athletes to start earning money based on their fame and celebrity without fear of endangering their eligibility or putting their school in jeopardy of violating amateurism rules that have stood for decades. (AP FILE PHOTO)
    The NCAA logo is displayed as work continues at The Consol Energy Center for the NCAA Tournament on March 15, 2015, in Pittsburgh. The NCAA Board of Directors is expected to greenlight one of the biggest changes in the history of college athletics when it clears the way for athletes to start earning money based on their fame and celebrity without fear of endangering their eligibility or putting their school in jeopardy of violating amateurism rules that have stood for decades. (AP FILE PHOTO)

    DALLAS — The NCAA Board of Directors approved one of the biggest changes in the history of college athletics Wednesday, clearing the way for nearly a half-million athletes to start earning money …