AAC Student-Athletes Make Demands (Covid safety protocols, hazard pay, 20% revenue sharing)

[J187Money]

Honestly I think students are overplaying their hand. If I was the conference I would just pull the plug under these demands. I've said before - as long as scholarships are honored, players should be able to opt in or out, and if they opt in, it is at their own risk with reasonable protocols. The fact that many student-athletes seem to not be satisfied with just getting their education shows that the "student" part of being a student-athlete is a misnomer.

If a school has enough players opting in, it should play. If not, it shouldn't. Nobody should feel like they are forced to do anything, but students are going to get COVID if they are playing or not. I sincerely doubt that the PAC-12 and AAC athletes leading the charge have been hiding out in their basements since the middle of March. I'm sure they have all taken all sorts of "risks" that they shouldn't have, but want to put it on the conference. They don't HAVE to play. So opt out and just take your classes.

 

[Exit 4]

Honestly I think students are overplaying their hand. If I was the conference I would just pull the plug under these demands. I've said before - as long as scholarships are honored, players should be able to opt in or out, and if they opt in, it is at their own risk with reasonable protocols. The fact that many student-athletes seem to not be satisfied with just getting their education shows that the "student" part of being a student-athlete is a misnomer.

If a school has enough players opting in, it should play. If not, it shouldn't. Nobody should feel like they are forced to do anything, but students are going to get COVID if they are playing or not. I sincerely doubt that the PAC-12 and AAC athletes leading the charge have been hiding out in their basements since the middle of March. I'm sure they have all taken all sorts of "risks" that they shouldn't have, but want to put it on the conference. They don't HAVE to play. So opt out and just take your classes.

Bingo.

They way I see it:
i) Got to let kids earn sponsorship money - no limits on $$ or source....only that its disclosed and follows a form contract approved by the NCAA. I think its very hard to have any moral high ground limiting income. Stop being the aggressor here. Free markets.
ii) Got to accept the fact that there will be movements to push for more of whatever (name the cause!) which will result in threats of sit outs. Let it happen. This is a volunteer sport, one year at a time. Sit out games in one year, expect the university to take back the scholarship the following semester to find someone else who likes "the deal" which is scholarship with loaded special academic attention in trade for playing for your school + the opportunity to earn side money if you can finagle it.

Hard to predict exactly where this could go. Schools outside the P5 do not have the financial resources to give in to any of the financial demands. None. If I have a university where a culture takes hold that the kids dont want to play in mass (lets say this happens with a MAC school with persistence over a couple seasons) then I suspend the sport and let it be a loose - loose for everyone. Outside of the P5 this is strictly a voluntary adventure. Inside the P5 there might be room for some cash to the kids, but again, nothing like these kids think there is. Not at all. If things get real acrimonious I think it becomes rather easy to drop a sport and that would be the ultimate unintended consequence because there will be far more losers than winners. Try to tip the scales too hard and watch the scale fall over. Athletics aren't the mission, some smaller universities might grow to welcome the opportunity as an excuse to shut the athletic circus down and get back to stuff that helps more students more equitably than the narrow focus on athletes.

 

[upstater]

Schools outside the P5 do not have the financial resources to give in to any of the financial demands.

The vast majority of schools in the P5 are in the red, including Texas and Michigan. There are 8 schools in the black.

 

[Exit 4]

The vast majority of schools in the P5 are in the red, including Texas and Michigan. There are 8 schools in the black.

Thats because they spend the $$ on stadiums, plush training facilities, athlete dorms, lazy rivers, outrageous coaching salaries, extended staffing, etc. They are spending it to hide it. A lot of it is dumped into money losing olympic sports.

Of course the obvious other unintended consequence of caving to the football kids on financial demands is that the olympic sports are going to lose that support which will result in lesser facilities and perhaps ultimately termination of programs. Been seeing alot of that already in college athletics as you know w/o any football caving.

 

[NorwalkHusky]

Honestly I think they should push student athletes to do local commercials and get paid to endorse products and places. Dude imagine how much Joe Burrow would have made just by doing some dumb local ads etc.

 

[J187Money]

The only problem I have with the name/likeness thing is that people will drive a truck through it and it will become a way for donors to just pay for players to come to their schools. Not that it is a bad idea for the students, but will be super hard to enforce fairness. But I think we are way past that anyway.

 

[Exit 4]

The only problem I have with the name/likeness thing is that people will drive a truck through it and it will become a way for donors to just pay for players to come to their schools. Not that it is a bad idea for the students, but will be super hard to enforce fairness. But I think we are way past that anyway.

Can't stop that. When schools function this way (prohibiting compensation) they are acting as a cartel with monopoly powers.

We need to let it happen.

And schools need a new system to help rebalance competition like granting more scholarships to losing programs or reducing scholarships for winning programs or allowing more immediate play transfers slots for losing programs, etc.

 

[upstater]

Thats because they spend the $$ on stadiums, plush training facilities, athlete dorms, lazy rivers, outrageous coaching salaries, extended staffing, etc. They are spending it to hide it. A lot of it is dumped into money losing olympic sports.

Of course the obvious other unintended consequence of caving to the football kids on financial demands is that the olympic sports are going to lose that support which will result in lesser facilities and perhaps ultimately termination of programs. Been seeing alot of that already in college athletics as you know w/o any football caving.

Because of Title 9 they have no choice.

They can deescalate on coaching salaries at any time by doing what UConn did and maxing it at $1m, but that will cut down on your coaching candidates.

Spending to hide it? The hiding is in messing around with the athletic budget and not including athletic expenditures by moving them over tot eh academic side. The other hiding is in having each and every student pay for athletic department subsidies. Who are the true customers that this information must be hidden from? Parents.

 

[Exit 4]

Because of Title 9 they have no choice.

They can deescalate on coaching salaries at any time by doing what UConn did and maxing it at $1m, but that will cut down on your coaching candidates.

Spending to hide it? The hiding is in messing around with the athletic budget and not including athletic expenditures by moving them over tot eh academic side. The other hiding is in having each and every student pay for athletic department subsidies. Who are the true customers that this information must be hidden from? Parents.

Point is - there is some money to be had even at the P5 programs that report losses. What it does to Title IX is university problem. These aren't necessarily my views, but its how the kids/parents of football players will see it.

 

[upstater]

Point is - there is some money to be had even at the P5 programs that report losses. What it does to Title IX is university problem. These aren't necessarily my views, but its how the kids/parents of football players will see it.

Well, I do know that the entirety of the tweeting universe sees this as a form of mass exploitation to be rectified. And that may be. I can even sympathize with that. But I don't think they're going to like the resolution ultimately.

Just reading this board, you come to realize that the vast majority of fans are in favor of facility updates because we think it's what is needed to keep up with the joneses. You see this in pro sports too when perfectly fine 20 year old stadiums are junked for new ones, on the taxpayer's dime.

 

[Exit 4]

But I don't think they're going to like the resolution ultimately.

I agree. Push this issue too hard and schools should throw in the towel on big time football and select other sports. The mission is education first...not a semi pro sports league. Kids want semi pro sports then find another avenue. There are limits here and it seems we'll be spending the next decade finding those exact limits.

 

[upstater]

I agree. Push this issue too hard and schools should throw in the towel on big time football and select other sports. The mission is education first...not a semi pro sports league. Kids want semi pro sports then find another avenue. There are limits here and it seems we'll be spending the next decade finding those exact limits.

There is one way to make everyone happy, and I've been pushing it. The schools should license their brand to the pro league and also just charge breakeven rent for facilities.

This would give everyone what they want (except for northeasterners who would have a hard time pretending pro players have anything to do with the school).

 

[Exit 4]

There is one way to make everyone happy, and I've been pushing it. The schools should license their brand to the pro league and also just charge breakeven rent for facilities.

This would give everyone what they want (except for northeasterners who would have a hard time pretending pro players have anything to do with the school).

Interesting idea .....it could emerge from the rubble should it all collapse.

 

[J187Money]

Can't stop that. When schools function this way (prohibiting compensation) they are acting as a cartel with monopoly powers.

We need to let it happen.

And schools need a new system to help rebalance competition like granting more scholarships to losing programs or reducing scholarships for winning programs or allowing more immediate play transfers slots for losing programs, etc.

I agree you need to let it happen. I also think that you will see some really weird outcomes, and parity (if it existed at all) will just get worse from here.

 

[Exit 4]

I agree you need to let it happen. I also think that you will see some really weird outcomes, and parity (if it existed at all) will just get worse from here.

Unleash the chaos of endorsement $$ for the student athlete. Outcomes will be weird. Oh well. There is no moral high ground denying the kids the $$. I think the NCAA is a terrible position in the court system under this structure only they can get the cash for the efforts of the youth. I dont think schools should pay the kids directly, they just shouldnt deny the kids the right to get comp in whatever way they can.

 

[upstater]

Unleash the chaos of endorsement $$ for the student athlete. Outcomes will be weird. Oh well. There is no moral high ground denying the kids the $$. I think the NCAA is a terrible position in the court system under this structure only they can get the cash for the efforts of the youth. I dont think schools should pay the kids directly, they just shouldnt deny the kids the right to get comp in whatever way they can.

The original judge of that case threw up her hands because she couldn't make heads or tails of how the ugly truth of it comes together, which is why she just said, give them some compensation. The lawyers meanwhile were arguing on the basis of a NLRB decision that has since been overturned (whether TAs can form a protective class). & oddly, the athletes are what enabled the overturning of the infamous Brown U. TA case, so we have athletes now making inroads for TAs.

At the end of the day, the revenue-generating sports teams will go pro before becoming pay for play, simply because finances won't allow it to be otherwise. Look at UConn: $40m in the red. How much more can possibly be moved to the other side of the ledger to keep this concern going?

Just go pro. Pay the players according to how much money the team brings in once it is professionalized. Make it transparent and clean, and the controversy will be over. The worst thing to do is what is being prescribed by the court, especially by a judge who was exasperated by this case. The in-between is killing players and colleges.

 

[Exit 4]

The original judge of that case through up her hands because she couldn't make heads or tails of how the ugly truth of it comes together, which is why she just said, give them some compensation. The lawyers meanwhile were arguing on the basis of a NLRB decision that has since been overturned (whether TAs can form a protective class). & oddly, the athletes are what enabled the overturning of the infamous Brown U. TA case, so we have athletes now making inroads for TAs.

At the end of the day, the for-profit sports teams will go pro before becoming pay for play, simply because finances won't allow ti to be otherwise. Look at UConn: $40m in the red. How much more can possibly be moved to the other side of the ledger to keep this concern going?

Just go pro. Pay the players according to how much money the team brings in once it is professionalized. Make it transparent and clean, and the controversy will be over. The worst thing to do is what is being prescribed by the court, especially by a judge who was exasperated by this case. The in-between is killing players and colleges.

You have some interesting ideas. The challenge in your model would be sustainability for extended periods of down years. Schools plug the financial losses seasons (as we know at UConn).

 

[J187Money]

Unleash the chaos of endorsement $$ for the student athlete. Outcomes will be weird. Oh well. There is no moral high ground denying the kids the $$. I think the NCAA is a terrible position in the court system under this structure only they can get the cash for the efforts of the youth. I dont think schools should pay the kids directly, they just shouldnt deny the kids the right to get comp in whatever way they can.

Don't disagree. Just might end up causing a bunch of schools to kill/downgrade sports. What I think will happen is that for the "pro" level athletes this will be a BIG win, and for the average student athlete, it will mean less opportunity. Look at everything else in this world that is a free market system - you have a few winners and TONS of losers. I don't want to deny anyone anything that they deserve - I would just imagine in the long run that D1 is a lot smaller and everything else is D2/D3.

 

[Exit 4]

Don't disagree. Just might end up causing a bunch of schools to kill/downgrade sports. What I think will happen is that for the "pro" level athletes this will be a BIG win, and for the average student athlete, it will mean less opportunity. Look at everything else in this world that is a free market system - you have a few winners and TONS of losers. I don't want to deny anyone anything that they deserve - I would just imagine in the long run that D1 is a lot smaller and everything else is D2/D3.

Bingo bingo bingo. The payroll on the modern MLB is a fine example of the extreme dichotomy with $20MM guys next to 500k guys. Gonna have a QB and a couple other draft picks landing some $ and a ton of other kids pulling in a couple grand. The pressure to talent scout HS QBs would be amped up big time in this model.

And yes, it is very likely this issue will result in a reduction in FBS schools and therefore fewer scholarships and therefore fewer opportunities. Unintended consequences run high here for sure.

 

[upstater]

You have some interesting ideas. The challenge in your model would be sustainability for extended periods of down years. Schools plug the financial losses seasons (as we know at UConn).

These issues are coming up during a time when schools are experiencing $100m black holes with no state help in sight. The carnage on campus is like nothing ever seen before.

 

[J187Money]

Bingo bingo bingo. The payroll on the modern MLB is a fine example of the extreme dichotomy with $20MM guys next to 500k guys. Gonna have a QB and a couple other draft picks landing some $ and a ton of other kids pulling in a couple grand. The pressure to talent scout HS QBs would be amped up big time in this model.

And yes, it is very likely this issue will result in a reduction in FBS schools and therefore fewer scholarships and therefore fewer opportunities. Unintended consequences run high here for sure.

I know the Yankees hate revenue sharing - but if MLB didn't have it - there might only be like 7 teams. That's fun.

 

[Waquoit]

I know the Yankees hate revenue sharing - but if MLB didn't have it - there might only be like 7 teams. That's fun.

That's 100% not true. Revenue sharing just pays teams for not trying.

 

[J187Money]

That's 100% not true. Revenue sharing just pays teams for not trying.

Let's be serious - places like KC and Milwaukee couldn't possibly compete with Boston/LA/NY.

The Business Of Baseball

Forbes ranks America's most valuable baseball teams.

www.forbes.com

When the difference is over $400M/year from top to bottom INCLUDING revenue sharing - please let me know how hard you would have to try to over come that lol.

 

[Waquoit]

Let's be serious - places like KC and Milwaukee couldn't possibly compete with Boston/LA/NY.

There ought to be a requirement that the teams spend the revenue sharing they get.

 

[HardFacts]

Unleash the chaos of endorsement $$ for the student athlete. Outcomes will be weird. Oh well. There is no moral high ground denying the kids the $$. I think the NCAA is a terrible position in the court system under this structure only they can get the cash for the efforts of the youth. I dont think schools should pay the kids directly, they just shouldnt deny the kids the right to get comp in whatever way they can.

Bottom line is there not enough $$$ to go around for student athletes from endorsements or any source. How many pro’s have significant endorsement contracts. The only players that will make anything are those to be projected
early draft picks. How many UConn players would get endorsements? From who?