“The NCAA is like a dictatorship”: Why college athletes are demanding a union

[Omaha Steve]

Tuesday's LBN story here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014711660


http://www.salon.com/2014/01/30/the_ncaa_is_like_a_dictatorship_why_college_athletes_are_demanding_a_union/

Thursday, Jan 30, 2014 07:30 AM CST

A first-ever union petition at Northwestern sets off a struggle that could transform college sports

Josh Eidelson



Kain Colter (Credit: AP/Paul Beaty)

A first-ever union petition at Northwestern sets off a struggle that could transform college sports

By Josh Eidelson

In a surprise move without precedent in the history of college sports, Northwestern University football players have petitioned to form a labor union.

“Something we talked to the players about – we said, look, we don’t know what the timeline is, there could be a number of appeals, and many of you could be gone,” said Ramogi Huma, a founder of the new College Athletes Players Association. “It’s possible that many of you will never directly benefit. But we said … if you believe it’s the right thing to do, then it’s a chance that no other college athlete’s had, to stand up in this area for not only future players at Northwestern, but future players across the nation.”

“And the response,” said Huma, “was just overwhelming.”

Huma filed the petition Tuesday with the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency responsible for enforcing and interpreting most private sector labor law. Huma also directs the National College Players Association, a non-union group that, as I’ve previously reported, has mounted increasingly aggressive challenges to the NCAA since Huma, an ex-UCLA linebacker, founded the group in 2001.

FULL story at link.

[Travis_0004]

1. I'm not sure how well this would work out for them

If they became employees, benefits such as free tuition are now taxable (15,000 per quarter, or 45000).

The first 5k or so can be deducted under publication 970 rules, so lets call it 40k, which is now taxed as income.

Don't forget about room and board, which suddenly becomes taxable as well for an employee. (lets call that 60k total including tutition).

If they agreed to pay them 20,000 a year, at best they would break even after paying taxes, maybe be worse off.

So are we going to pay them 30k a year. I'll admit, paying 100 or so football players even 50k a year wouldn't be that expensive, but don't forget about Title 9. So we have to pay an equal number of women athletes. Do we also pay basketball players? What about sports that loose money?

One other thing to remember about Northwestern. Their Athletic department had revenue of 0 last year. Want to pay some Athletes, then something has to be cut. Maybe fringe sports that don't make money. Northwestern Football and basketball make about 13 million a year. The remaining mens sports loose about 4 million a year. And the women's sports loose about 9 million a year.
(source http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/28743/pay-for-play-northwestern)

I think that Football players have a pretty good deal. They want to play football, and most of them get a scholarship to play. I don't think paying them, then cutting other sports, or academics is a solution.

(Additional source backing up 0 revenue claims (complied from DOE: http://businessofcollegesports.com/2012/03/19/most-profitable-athletic-departments-big-ten/

[Dr. Strange]

2. I think Title IX could be the biggest wrinkle here.

From the article in the LBN thread:

At the outset, only Division I FBS football players and men's basketball players -- the athletes at the center of the commercial enterprise -- will be eligible to join CAPA because they are best situated to make a case to be treated as employees, Huma said. Over time, CAPA may expand its scope to include other sports.

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/10363430/outside-lines-northwestern-wildcats-football-players-trying-join-labor-union?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[Blue_Tires]

4. As far as Title IX goes

why not just pay the revenue sports?

And the issue isn't whether athletes at big-time programs have a "pretty good deal", it's a matter of what percentage of the billions of billions of revenues each season is due to them...

[Ilsa]

3. I see only heartache here.

What about "Right to Work" states? Nonperformance (catching the football in the end zone) could cause them to be denied their scholarship and be evicted from classes.
Too many complicated issues like taxes, contracts, individual state labor laws, etc, could derail college sports. And that would be a travesty for athletes who graduate and use their degrees, the bulk of them.

[Chisox08]

5. You can already lose your scholarship for no reason.

When I got injured and could no longer play my "full Scholarship" was revoked. When I transferred to another school I couldn't accept an academic scholarship unless I waited at least a full year.

[Fumesucker]

6. Why not a union of all college students, not just athletes?

The athletes might get a raw deal but it's a better deal than a lot of non athlete students get.

[gollygee]

7. I can see the point

I've only ever lived in Michigan, but at least in my part of Michigan, college sports are bigger than pro sports. At least as far as football and basketball go. They're huge huge huge. And these kids bring in tons of money. In most states the highest paid pubic employee is a university athletic coach.

I don't know enough about the issue to say what's wrong or right, just that I understand the thought behind this.

[Johonny]

8. Kick

the way they treat the young people they claim to be molding while the coaches on up feed at the troughs is laughable. Every rule they set for the "kids" they violate over and over themselves and yet no one wants a union and wages for fear that the whole house of cards is unsustainable without indentured servants. At least in the $$ sports.