If Northwestern never wins another game, I would be a happy person. This is a joke.
Mixed feelings here... some college athletes are just that; others are clearly there for professional apprentice-ship.
I can see some funny things happening as the union gears up. Who is the rep? Is he a player or a labor pro? What happens to on-the-job seniority? Grievances with the coach (and team discipline)?
Actually, I think it is a failure of logic. The entire program is run by employees who find the appropriate talent, recruit them, train them, etc. The football players themselves are consumers of the program, not employees of the program. The program would continue whether those football players were there or not.
It was almost entirely a ruling based upon the ‘intern/employee’ test; another dip into the world of irrational thinking. But you could use the exact same rationality to unionize all college students.
FR readers should be unionized.
Just like college football players pay room, board, tuition... Likewise FReepers pay monthlies, fundraisers, electricity, PC maintenance, occasional new keyboards...
While I do agree that universities make money off of what these players do for the program, many of them are getting paid by having their room and board covered by the way of scholarship.
No one is making these guys play football. You know what you are getting into when you play football. It’s a lot of work, but you know that going in. If the university is going to pay these guys to play, then they should NOT be paying for their education.
Sorry, Lester Munson is a lightweight moron. Over the years, he has continually commented on stuff he hasn’t even read. Such a bad habit for a “legal expert”.
1. Each student athlete knows what they're getting into and do so voluntarily.
2. It's a small price to pay for the privilege of playing college sports and getting a college education.
3. The best college sports programs are more than just playing sports - they're about building character into men and women - thus the necessity of the control.
4. Even though football (and college sports in general) bring in a lot of money, very few college sports programs are self-sufficient. This ruling will mean that none will be, so game tickets and tuition will have to increase.
5. I don't see any way this can be good for college sports.
Well then, the scholarships are salaries which are subject to state, fed and local taxes.
It’s an excellent analysis, in the sense of “since the sky is orange with green stripes...” style.
Fine!
If they want a union then effective immediately these whiners will start paying for room, board, books, tuition, basically everything they are getting for free because they are “playing” football.
Or, effective immediately Football becomes a “Club Sport.” All volunteer walk on’s only will play.
Or, new starting college football salary a year is now say $60,000 - Tuition is $50,000, room, board, books $12,000 - Pay up chump, you now owe the university money.
Oh and by the way, we will reinstate the 3.0 GPA to play rule, so by God don’t dare let your GPA dip below a 3.0 or we will now cut your dumb arse and turn you over to the bill collection agencies. You wanna play hard ball, lets really play hard ball boys.
Otherwise I would suggest you all STFU and enjoy your free ride, free education, and the opportunity to get it all free for “playing” a game with no debt at the end of your four years. If you don’t like them apples how about $22,000 a year to be an enlisted man in Afghanistan “for real,” not playing a game. Still think you got it bad?
This is really a first world problem isn’t it?
Who would want to be a coach in this setting?
The reason there is so much oversight by coaches is that the NCAA rules demand compliance and oversight is the only mechanism. I am certain the “car registration” thing came-up because a player broke a rule and the program was punished. “Hey... New rule, guys!”
The other controls are to meet academic compliance (with NCAA rules), and, of course, if you want ot WIN this is the workout/practice schedule.
I can hear it now, “Jones, take the field!” Jones, “Can’t coach. I’ve played in the last series. Shop Rules say you need to put in Smith.”
You watch...
Eh....it’s Northwestern. You could get credits there for watching people use sex toys.
Right now, under IRS guidelines, the value of their tuition is NOT taxable...they must report the value of their room and board, and small stipend, but they end up paying no taxes on the amount.
HOWEVER...if they are employees, then they will have to report, and pay taxes, on the value of their tuition.
OK...let's say it's $40,000..that's gonna give them phantom income, and a REAL tax bill, say of about $10k. OUCH!!! Who's got that scratch? Can't have it both ways..
The schools have whored themselves out to TV money and fame. Now they’re getting called on it. Note that this would only involve Division I schools. Division II and III schools, who really do put the “scholar” in “scholar-athlete” first are unaffected. Dump athletic tuition waivers (I refuse to call them “scholarships” since there is no actual scholarship involved) and this problem goes away. So do coaches making $1,000,000 a year, of course, and the NFL and NBA have to create their own minor leagues (like baseball and hockey), but too bad for them.
I wonder if this will cause any schools to drop from Division I to Division II or III?
The “employees” might be shocked when they get their W2s.
For many, a scholarship means the difference of the college experience or not.
Many will have a hard time paying the taxes and would have to forgo college to pay off their debt to IRS.
Not every player on a D1 Footbal1/Basketball team is there on scholarship. Some are true walk-ons happy to participate. If they are subject to all the same rules as every scholarship athlete AND are part of revenue generation will they now have to be compensated some way equal to a scholarship?
When a ‘student scholarship’ requires more time and success on football than in the classroom, then he is an employee. I’ll go with that.
The NCAA knew EA Sports had real players 'hidden' in college football games
Ed O'Bannon vs. the NCAA: The saga continues
These stories have so many "unintended consequences" it's mindboggling. It will be interesting to see how this pans out across the private/public college spectrum.
Lester Munson is a POS Union shill. The Right to Work States will tell them to go to hell.