Posted on 07/15/2017 2:51:19 AM PDT by buckalfa
Former Ohio State consensus All-American linebacker and current FOX Sports college football analyst Chris Spielman filed a class action lawsuit Friday against the university to block the usage of player images for promotional purposes.
The suit alleges unfair usage images for financial gain. It also names Nike, Honda, and the IMG Sports Radio Network.
“I personally do not have a financial interest in the outcome of the banner program as my share in any recovery will be donated directly to the athletic department of The Ohio State University," Spielman said in a statement.
“My concern is about the exploitation of all former players across this nation who do not have the platform to stand up for themselves while universities and corporations benefit financially by selling their name and likenesses without their individual consent.
“My hope is that this litigation will level the playing field for those affected players, and that they too can benefit from the dollars flowing into collegiate athletics.”
During an appearance on 610 WTVN in Columbus, Spielman clarified his position: “Ohio State is more than welcome to use my name and image in any way they want to use it. The problem is when they slap a corporate sponsor on it.
"What I’m actually doing is what I learned at Ohio State. To stand up for the right thing and those who may not be able to do so.”
Archie Griffin, who is not named in the suit, says he is in "full support" of former athletes receiving compensation from corporations and universities.
"Although I am not the named Plaintiff in the class action litigation, I am in full support of the right of former athletes to receive compensation from corporations and universities who benefit from the unauthorized use of players names and likenesses.
"There is no greater supporter of collegiate athletics than me, and I will be forever grateful for the opportunities provided to me as a former student athlete. However, the recent landscape of collegiate athletics has changed, and these institutions and corporations have a duty to treat all former athletes fairly.
"As long as the players and universities partner together, this will be a 'win-win' situation for all."
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith issued a statement late Friday afternoon:
“We immensely value our relationships with all of our former student athletes. Ohio State is aware of the lawsuit that Chris Spielman has filed, and we are in the process of reviewing it.”
He’s right. It’s absurd that their faces are on all the posters and their not allowed to make a dime off of it. It’s way past time to put a base salary structure in college sports plus a percentage of merch with their face or jersey. Doesn’t have to be much, but really academic scholarships come with stipends, why not athletic.
The university is making millions off of them and they don’t even get a cash stipend. At minimum full ride athletic scholarships should have the same stipend as academic full rides.
“Tuition and fees at OSU are north of $40K. At some schools it’s north of $50K. All of that is waived in exchange for playing football. How exactly are they being underpaid?”
The Big 10 football TV contract alone is worth $57 million dollars per year in 2018 to each of the member schools.
There are roughly 100 players on every collegiate D-I football team. They are not limited by fixed roster size like the professional leagues.
Not all 100 are on full scholarship. Let’s though, for the sake of argument, say they are.
That would be $5,000,000 worth of scholarships out of a $57,000,000 revenue pie.
Tell you what, if you can find me any business in America with less than 10% of their fixed costs being attributable labor with no other costs for good let me know, I wish to buy into that company all day long.
NCAA football in the power 5 conferences is tantamount to indentured servitude for life.
My understanding of the undergraduate stipend is that it typically covers books and fees. If that’s true then athletes do get this but as part of their scholarship package.
A few Universities do make money but I think that is a very limited few.
The stipend is to cover things not covered by a normal scholarship. Like it or not reality requires cash. Even with free food and lodging people want to go out once in a while.
The big ten network covers many sports not just revenue producing ones. The universities also split revenue among their various sports. You’ll have to add up all the athletes that get scholarships and all the sports the universities run.
$57 million does seem like a lot to run sports programs but I’d guess accounting would see the net from that gross as substantially lower.
Sloppy legal work if they don’t have image releases buried in the scholarship paperwork.
Yep, colleges are going around kidnapping high school players and forcing them to go their college. /s
I just looked up undergraduate stipends in the Big Ten. They instituted them a couple of years ago so the players do have walking around money now. Ohio State for it’s part seems to be one of the cheaper schools for handing out money.
It’s a GAME, people!
Yes, BIG BUCKS are attached to it, as well as a Legion of Lawyers and an entitlement mindset among the players.
Cancel it all and just see who screams the quickest and loudest?
Fans?
Players?
University accountants?
ESPN?
Lawyers & Agents?
NFL?
Whoever does, let them pick up the tab if they want to reinstate the College Football Industry.
(BTW, I love watching college football. I hate the histrionics of the Divas & their hangers-on.
ESPN is killing college football. All the traditions that made college football great are in the past.
Who are you to decide how much they should be compensated? It’s called supply and demand. Perhaps you are over paid.
I believe that the rush to pay college athletes will ultimately destroy college sports. The effort to unionize players at Northwestern was a harbinger of the demise to come. You cannot accept paid, unionized ringers and call it college sports. Should that have gone forward it would have been only a matter of time until eligibility requirements were challenged. Why have a minimum number of units needed? Why only four years of eligibility? Why not go on strike for higher pay?
Some people want to kill the goose that laid the golden egg.
Now add the revenues from all stadium sales of merchandise and food and beverages.......
Looks like in 2015 the NCAA finally relented and allowed stipends, I missed it then. That’s good, it’s how it should be. They should also get a percentage of merch sales when their name or face are used. Doesn’t have to be a lot, even .5% would be a good move, if you’re going to treat the players as a product they should get something for it.
” It’s called supply and demand.”
That’s my point. Being paid 50K a year while being in a program that may provide you with the skills to become enormously wealthy doesn’t seem like low pay.
Currently there are way more people who want to play in the current system than spots to play. Supply and demand works both ways.
All the traditions that made college football great are in the past.
Not completely. ESPN may neither know nor care, but at least in the South most traditions are still alive.
But you are right, it's not the same as it used to be.
There are some women’s volleyball teams that get far more fans to show up at matches than the men’s basketball team. Nebraska is one of them.
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