College football is a mess

[leatherneckjacket]

It's not a "could happen" scenario. Reread the headline of the article I linked.

NLRB official rules Dartmouth men's basketball team are employees, orders union vote​

I doubt one unelected bureaucrat has to the power to make the change for all of college athletics. This will go through judicial review and require legislation.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

I doubt one unelected bureaucrat has to the power to make the change for all of college athletics. This will go through judicial review and require legislation.

The NLRB actually does have that power. And it's not one unelected bureaucrat. It's a panel of 5 (1 seat currently vacant) appointed by the president. If Dartmouth unionizes, it sets legal precedence for all of college athletics.

 

[sweeper]

And the issue of scholarships as a form of payment does not seem to be the defining issue of an employee for the NLRB. Remember the ruling is for Dartmouth and Ivys do not give athletic scholarships

 

[UgaBlows]

unionization of the players could actually help bring all this crazy sh!t under control. Not saying it will but it could…

 

[roadkill]

And the issue of scholarships as a form of payment does not seem to be the defining issue of an employee for the NLRB. Remember the ruling is for Dartmouth and Ivys do not give athletic scholarships

Yeah, I just read the entire article for the first time and saw my previous arguments go out the window. Oh well. This will get messy.

 

[roadkill]

unionization of the players could actually help bring all this crazy sh!t under control. Not saying it will but it could…

You are more optimistic about this than me.

 

[leatherneckjacket]

The NLRB actually does have that power. And it's not one unelected bureaucrat. It's a panel of 5 (1 seat currently vacant) appointed by the president. If Dartmouth unionizes, it sets legal precedence for all of college athletics.

The decision came from one person according to the article above.

Also, I am sure Dartmouth has legal recourse to appeal this if the student athletes unionize.

Also, isn't Dartmouth (and all Ivy League schools) different than most other schools in that they do not offer athletic scholarships?

Again, I doubt this one decision is the end of the argument. Especially since it seems arbitrary and unsound. You get some perks that other students do not get, sleep in a special dorm, and your schedule is managed for you because you have to attend practices and games, so that makes you an employee? You can extend that other groups off high school and college students who do not play sports.

 

[UgaBlows]

You are more optimistic about this than me.

There’s way too much money in College FB for it to die, but it’s obviously never going to be the same either. Unionization will bring collective bargaining, labor laws, etc. It brings this nil-wild west b.s. into a new place.

 

[sweeper]

I agree. Clearly the current situation is untenable and the NCAA has proven completely inept at managing this fiasco. When you don’t adequately manage yourself, the government will do it for you. For good or bad…

 

[leatherneckjacket]

No, student athletes unionizing will not kill college football (or basketball for that matter). It will probably kill most non revenue sports, though.

 

[stinger78]

I agree. Clearly the current situation is untenable and the NCAA has proven completely inept at managing this any fiasco. When you don’t adequately manage yourself, the government will do it for you. For good or bad…

FTFY

 

[roadkill]

There’s way too much money in College FB for it to die, but it’s obviously never going to be the same either. Unionization will bring collective bargaining, labor laws, etc. It brings this nil-wild west b.s. into a new place.

If I put my optimistic hat on, I could imagine that unionization and contracts could help to level the playing field some. But I still see NIL as a means for some schools to outbid others.

 

[UgaBlows]

If I put my optimistic hat on, I could imagine that unionization and contracts could help to level the playing field some. But I still see NIL as a means for some schools to outbid others.

I mean that has always been happening under the table

 

[iceeater1969]

If I put my optimistic hat on, I could imagine that unionization and contracts could help to level the playing field some. But I still see NIL as a means for some schools to outbid others.

Union - picket line the high paid strike breaking scabs.

 

[ChicagobasedJacket]

First of all, yes, you can live in the same two worlds. There are plenty of students who receive scholarships (aka compensation) from the school who have special privileges that are not employees. Many support the billions of dollars of research that flow the school without gaining employee status from the university. There are also kids who receive scholarships to play sports at private high schools. Does that make them employees of the high school?

Second, the only reason these student athletes are being designated as employees is because a single bureaucrat in the NLRB thinks they are being exploited. This one bureaucrat will not have the final say. It will either have to codified by law or make its way through through judicial review.

Regardless, if this does somehow come to pass that they are employees, I will stop supporting college sports. It will not get one more dime from me. I will cancel my scholarship endowment and direct it towards another cause.

Finally, I think the unintended consequences of this will be both horrific and hilarious as most of these kids will now not be able to pay their tax bills and will probably be forced out of school for not paying their tuition. Getting a check every month and paying your bills on time is a lot different than having the school take care of everything for you. You want to be an employee then its time to grow up and act like one.

Football and basketball players are going to be deemed employees. The schools (i.e., NCAA) has botched this all terribly. 5 years ago they could have come out with the Project D-1 plan that Baker announced but it’s too late now.

 

[ChicagobasedJacket]

I do not think you can classify the athletes on our football team to be upper level managers of the university, but your point is taken. Yes, executives and common workers do not receive the same perks.

By the way, the inverse is also true. There are students who receive similar benefits with academic scholarships that have not been designated as employees. I wonder why the NLRB chose not to include them in their ruling.

Those students that are simply on academic scholarship don’t generate millions in revenue for their schools.

 

[JacketOff]

Football and basketball players are going to be deemed employees. The schools (i.e., NCAA) has botched this all terribly. 5 years ago they could have come out with the Project D-1 plan that Baker announced but it’s too late now.

The schools, networks, and NCAA tried to be greedy and continue to shut the players out of the revenue they were actually producing, and instead rely on 3rd parties to sort it out. The system is stupid and flawed. Imagine NFL/MLB/NBA/NHL players being shut out of the revenues from TV/media deals, ticket sales, and concession and merch sales and solely relying on 3rd parties to pay them. It wouldn’t make sense, and it was dumb of the people in charge of college athletics to pretend like it was a sustainable system.

They probably could’ve came out and paid all players a flat rate and percentage of revenues a long time ago and it would’ve avoided this total mess we’re in now. At least it would’ve delayed the implosion by many more years.

 

[leatherneckjacket]

Those students that are simply on academic scholarship don’t generate millions in revenue for their schools.

The sports programs generate the revenue. The student athletes are a part of it, but they are easily replaced. Similar to how students support billions of dollars of research grants, but those grant revenues would still flow to the schools with different students participating in those research programs.

Also, where in the NLRB decision does it state that the amount of revenue that is generated affects whether someone is an employee? Asking for a friend.

 

[leatherneckjacket]

Football and basketball players are going to be deemed employees. The schools (i.e., NCAA) has botched this all terribly. 5 years ago they could have come out with the Project D-1 plan that Baker announced but it’s too late now.

Why not baseball or women's cross county or any other student athlete?

 

[ChicagobasedJacket]

The sports programs generate the revenue. The student athletes are a part of it, but they are easily replaced. Similar to how students support billions of dollars of research grants, but those grant revenues would still flow to the schools with different students participating in those research programs.

Also, where in the NLRB decision does it state that the amount of revenue that is generated affects whether someone is an employee? Asking for a friend.

I couldn’t find a copy of the board’s opinion again but this article references the opinion focusing on revenue generation by the basketball team.

Labor board: Dartmouth hoop players are college employees - NH Business Review

The 15 players on the Dartmouth College men’s basketball team fit the definition of employees and have the right to form a union, an official with the National Labor Relations Board ruled Monday. The 25-page ruling is the latest in the thorny legal issue of whether student athletes at colleges...

www.nhbr.com