Posted on 04/04/2014 10:21:41 AM PDT by Oldpuppymax
Last year, twenty one year old Northwestern University quarterback Kain Colter decided he could “…revolutionize the way collegiate athletes are treated” by forming the first players union in NCAA athletics. A union…”would put the athletes in a position to bargain, to demand things that college athletes have never had before — like stipends, continuing medical coverage after graduation, more concussion testing and even a portion of the profits of the multi-billion dollar windfall created by college football and basketball,” writes CNN reporter Sara Ganim of the benefits players might realize. (1)
On March 26th, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regional office in Chicago removed a major impediment preventing players seeking union representation by ruling that Northwestern University is an employer. This makes the approximately 85 players on scholarship university employees, enabling them to organize the first labor union in college athletics. The newly formed union could “…seek representation with the College Athletes Players Association, a first-of-its-kind labor organization, backed by the United Steelworkers.” It was the United Steelworkers that financed the players efforts...
(Excerpt) Read more at coachisright.com ...
Soon as they form a union, since they believe they are employees, treat them like one: furnish a 1099 for the value of the scholarship.
Yes, I think they should try doing this. As if these guys aren’t pampered enough.
But here’s the problem. The various college atheletic association NCAA etc recognize players as non-paid amateurs.
So while we’re at it, why not make the high school atheletes employees also?
It will only make me care even less about college football.
Yes they would be able. I am as rabid an SC fan as you’ll find. I quit watching the day the teams are nothing more than industrial league teams. The system is crazy now but unionization is the death knell.
I find it sickening that universities are used as the NBA and NFL minor leagues.
I’m the wrong person to comment on this the more that I think about it. I hate what collegiate sports have become and have too much bias against them :-). For that reason, they can unionize away for all I care ... they’ll be destroyed :-). On second though, forget that ... the unions will get more power back.
The NCAA will cease to exist or at least exist as factor in major college football.
Look for the top 30 or 32 money making big college football teams to break away and form a college football league with a massive TV contract.
As it is today, many if not most of the football players at major schools are not real college students as they take class loads that could be aced by your average 6th grader.
Fine with me. They deserve each other.
I figure it will drive sports back to true intramural/intercollege rivalries like in the late 1800s early 1900s - may see a resurface of the academies :)
Unionize college athletes? Ok, but under two conditions: (1) No student-athlete is admitted to school unless he/she would qualify for admission under the rules applying to everyone else; (2) Athletic scholarships are eliminated. Treat them as they want to be treated - as employees, not “student-athletes,” similar to students working in the school cafeteria or library. Fair enough?
Well said. That's where it's headed. NCAA will hold on to the other sports, but football's definitely going their own way.
That’s true I’m sure. But one class and being on the team eight years in a row won’t fly.
“Take away the scholarships and the perks and you have DIII. I don’t think those schools are bringing in quite the TV revenue that BCS schools taking in.”
The NFL should just create a three year farm system. There are hundreds of football programs across the country. Put high school seniors into the draft and have at it.
Those who want to stay in college and get something of an education and play football should do so.
All these pampered college football players will end up like AA baseball players, playing on small NFL “farm” teams for starvation wages.
Beginning commercial pilots trying to “build time” used fly for the regional carriers and often earned about $20k/year. Many also delivered pizzas to make ends meet. This is all after they had spent in the neighborhood of $50K-$100K or more to get their required training Commercial - multiengine, instrument and 250 hours flight time. Recent changes in FAA reqs now require even co-pilots at the regional carriers to have an ATP rating and 1500 hours. Who knows how that is going to work out!
The jocks ought to be grateful for a free college education, training in game they enjoy and free advertising for their hoped-for professional careers.
The mob wants “The Games,” and academics be damned!
Truthfully, college sports is a waste. It is entirely unrelated to education, often consuming far more resources than it provides, and the “students” who pass through such programs often matriculate to skid row with lifelong and crippling injuries.
Yes, it provides entertainment for lots of people, but then again, so did gladiatorial contests in the old Roman Empire, for about the same reasons.
So, will paying students even half a professional salary for four years make up for the rest of their lives? The *average* salary in the NFL is $1.9 million, but that is averaging a handful of multi-million players against the much lower pay of rank and file players. Ordinary players make around $200,000 a year. Their average career is between 3.5 and 6 years.
The bottom line is that college sports should just be a more grown up version of high school sports. Either that or pay the athletes a lot more than they are being paid now.
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