Posts tagged NCAA
Dartmouth Basketball Players can now Unionize
February 8, 2024 // The players were ruled to be employees of the school, meaning they can unionize. Not only will the players be able to negotiate their salaries, but also their practice hours and when they will travel to and from games. However, this would go against the NCAA’s amateurism rule, which states that athletes can not be compensated for competing in college athletics unless the money they receive is from scholarships and expenses. The problem is that Ivy League schools do not award scholarships for athletics meaning the Dartmouth men’s basketball team are essentially playing for free. Another problem is that these athletes are being overworked. According to the players, they testified that they were spending over 40 hours a week playing basketball. The NCAA only allows teams to practice 20 hours a week.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh suggests college athletes unionize after championship win
January 12, 2024 // “For a long time, people say that unionizing would be bad,” Harbaugh said. “If people aren’t gonna do it, if they’re not gonna do it out of their own goodwill, and do what’s right, I mean, that’s probably the next step.” Debate continues over how college football and other sports should handle players’ recent ability to monetize their name, image and likeness (NIL). Lawmakers have generally agreed that new NIL reforms and regulations are needed, but they so far have not come together on what that should look like.
NLRB Sets Up Clash Over College Athlete Unionization, Employment
May 22, 2023 // The complaint alleged that USC’s media policies violated labor laws. The school’s handbook tells students to “smile” and “be positive” when being interviewed by the media. It also tells students not to “post anything that would embarrass USC, your team, or your family” on social media. The legal action, which has been in the works since December 2022, sets up a court battle over the status of student athletes this November. The moves also open the door to unionization and employment status for the college football and basketball players who create the biggest media draws for their conferences.
Labor Board Backs USC College Athletes in Case, Arguing They Are ‘Employees’ Who Should Be Paid and Permitted To Unionize
December 20, 2022 // The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will take the side of student athletes in an unfair labor practices case against USC, the Pac-12 Conference, and the National College Athletics Association (NCAA). If a judge sides with the NLRB, it could mean that student athletes across the nation will be reclassified as “employees” of their respective schools who are entitled not only to compensation, but to other employee benefits such as the right to unionize.