California rethinks endorsement deals for college athletes

California lawmakers are debating whether to let student athletes sign endorsement deals and hire agents in a move that could upend the multibillion-dollar business of college sports.

A proposed law moving through the state Assembly would scrap policies that strictly limit the ways in which college athletes can profit from their name, image and likeness, raising the prospect of private sponsorships long off-limits for students.

The bill comes in the midst of an ongoing national debate over the extent to which students can financially benefit from their athletic performance.

The legislation's backers argue it is a matter of fairness.