The New Jersey Institute of Technology is leaving the Atlantic Sun and joining the America East. According to the report from ESPN, the move will be effective for the 2020-21 season.
The move makes sense from a geography perspective, as the other schools in the Atlantic Sun all reside in the southeast, including multiple Florida schools. NJIT is located in Newark, NJ, and has been competing at the Division I level since 2006.
The America East includes UMBC, Binghamton, Albany, and Stony Brook, all of which are geographically more convenient than almost every team in the Atlantic Sun.
Florida signs NIL bill into law
The state of Florida has signed a name, image, and likeness bill into law, making it possible for players to profit off of themselves starting in the summer of 2021.
According to a report from ESPN’s Dan Murphy, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill on Friday. The bill causes an interesting situation for NCAA President Mark Emmert, who is not in favor of NIL, as states pass these laws that create an uneven playing field in the sport.
While the NIL rights are now legal in Florida, it is still against NCAA rules for players to be compensated.
As name, image, and likeness begins to gain steam, it is still unlikely that it signals the return of popular EA Sports game franchises dealing with college football and basketball. The last college football game release was in 2014.
NCAA Encourages Giving Election Day Off
In a movement led by Georgia Tech assistant coach Eric Reveno, the NCAA is encouraging schools to give their athletes the day off Nov. 3 so that they can take part in the voting process.
Reveno, who was inspired by Yellow Jackets wall on Malachi Rice, first tweeted about the issue a couple of weeks ago. Since the initial tweet, programs from around the country have come out to support the movement in droves.
Gonzaga coach Mark Few has said publicly that preparing his team to participate in the voting process will now be part of his program.
Reveno recently appeared on Jeff Goodman’s “Good and Plenty” podcast to discuss the matter. The former Stanford player also tweeted that while the NCAA making this suggestion is a step in the correct direction, it needs to do more and make the date a mandatory day off and put it in the rule book.
Clemson Player Tests Positive For Coronavirus
According to reports, a Clemson basketball player has tested positive for the coronavirus. Due to privacy laws, the player’s identity was not revealed, but he was quarantined immediately.
According to the ESPN report, two other Clemson athletes from the football team also tested positive.
The school reportedly conducted over 120 tests on their athletes as players return to school in an attempt to save the 2020 football and basketball seasons.
