COLLEGE Athlete broadens campaign

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- Already suing the NCAA, Colorado football player and Olympic skier Jeremy Bloom is campaigning for state-by-state legislation to bring new benefits to college athletes.
Bloom said Tuesday he plans to contact 160 to 170 legislators in other states by next week in hopes of spreading his "Student-Athletes' Bill of Rights." Earlier this year, a bill was introduced in the California Legislature supporting increased rights for student athletes.
Bloom said his proposal is "very similar" to state Sen. Kevin Murray's attempt to overturn some long-standing NCAA rules for amateur athletes.
"When I heard what Sen. Murray was doing, I called him," Bloom said. "He's been a great resource. I wanted to take what he was doing and make it more of a national movement."
Bloom's proposal would also allow college athletes to sign with agents, collect money generated by the sale of apparel that bears their name, receive full-time health insurance from their athletic departments and to "secure bona fide employment not associated with his/her amateur sport."
The latter stipulation applies to Bloom, who is suing the NCAA over the ability to receive endorsement money as a freestyle skier while also participating in college football.
"This isn't just about me," insisted Bloom, a sophomore. "Things aren't going to change tomorrow. They probably won't be fully instituted until I'm out of athletics. But I'm committed 100 percent"
An NCAA spokesman said some issues in Bloom's proposal already were being studied by the NCAA.