California is considering passing a legislature for it’s “pro-free market” which allows college and university student athletes to negotiate compensation and salary at their will without any interference of a third party. However, the legislature may actually be the opposite of what it is trying to accomplish.
The government interference (imposing the policy) might defeat the purpose of a free market. For example, the NCAA and its member universities often offer athletic students deals that they can take it or leave it and both the NCAA and the student have to agree on a voluntary contract made by the NCAA, which is the employer. However, while those deals are usually attractive in some ways (offering scholarships and such), they often prohibit student athletes to take external compensations from commercial endorsements and earning royalties, which are probably worth a lot more than a full ride college scholarship, so it is up to students to take the offer. The government is trying to change that by proposing the aforementioned legislation but would possibly be a violation of the term “free market”.