The NCAA, which apparently exists to protect the interests of fellow athletes, may be in for a fight to preserve that facade.
On Thursday public sen. Cory Booker (DN.J.) sets out the framework for a proposed probation from a college athlete who would eventually give athletes a share of the income they generate, sustainable standards for health, safety and wellness, and other benefits .
The reason is not new to Booker: he’s been talking about NCAA reforms for a while, and he also has first-hand knowledge of why the system needs an upgrade – he was a 6-foot-4 tight end at Stanford after a standout career in high school. While Booker did not exactly go on to become the next Mark Bavaro, star of his beloved New York Giants, he still knows what it’s like to be a student-athlete on a program at a power conference.
“This problem is personal to me. The NCAA has failed generations of young men and women, even when it comes to their most basic responsibilities – keeping the athletes healthy and safe under their load, “Booker said in a statement. ‘The time has come for change. We have an opportunity now to do what should have been done decades ago – to step in and provide true justice and opportunity for college athletes across the country. Our accounting rights for university athletes establish a new framework for fairness, equity, and safety in college athletics, and hold colleges accountable for these standards. ”
Where does the NCAA stand now?
NCAA President Mark Emmert announced a shift in position earlier this year, with the NCAA governing body to support athletes being compensated for their images. But the rules and the reform will not expire until next year.
Emmert has asked Congress for help in enacting rules to allow athletes for deals, as well as for an exemption from anti-trust over the issue. But the governing body for college sports has been informed: Changes will happen one way or another.
Booker knows that the NCAA will not repair itself quickly. Why should it? The myth has arisen that athletes participating in member schools are amateurs and should never be paid for the work they do, the publicity they receive, and in many cases, the money they earn for their colleges – all in return for a ‘free’ education, although they are at risk of taking up their scholarships.
keeping the idea that athletes should be grateful they receive something and are wrong to even think that they are entitled to money from their own likeness. “data-reactid =” 28 “> Even better for the NCAA, which has a healthy number of sports media members who work for the organization, keeping the idea that athletes should be grateful they receive something and are wrong to even think that they are entitled to money from their own likeness.
But consider this: if a student of a music scholarship gets their song on iTunes and banks an amount of money from it, they will not lose their scholarship. And the school makes no dime.
And there is, not surprisingly, a racial element to this, with data from 2017 from a UMass Amherst study showing that there was opposition to college athletes being paid because African-Americans, which would make a high percentage of rosters in basketball and football would benefit.
But we’ll set that up for today.
Booker’s proposed bill is backed by nine Democratic senators, including Kamala Harris, of California, the nominated vice president, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
From left, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby, NCAA President Mark Emmert, UK Chancellor Douglas Girod, NCAA Executive Director Ramogi Huma and NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Chairman Kendall Spencer appeared during a House of Representatives hearing on compensation for athlete in February. (AP Photo / Susan Walsh, File)
Protection for current and former student-athletes
The last few months have only served to emphasize how important it is for NCAA member schools to have some sort of oversight over athletes, with some schools telling athletes that they must sign a liability waiver before returning to campus for practices and competitions. in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The proposed rights include comprehensive health care coverage for sports-related injuries, financial support for medical bills and out-of-pocket expenses, and coverage for ailments that have increased during athletics or from COVID-19. Current and former athletes would be treated under the rug.
Athletes would be able to transfer schools without penalty, including those who have signed a national letter of intent but have not yet enrolled in a school. A supervisory panel would also be set up to give athletes a seat at the table with policymakers and college administration officials.
And eventually, the law would allow all athletes to take advantage of their own name, image and picture without sacrificing punishment or sacrificing their competitive status. Since California passed a law last year that allowed this for athletes at colleges and universities, other states have introduced similar tickets, although only Florida and Colorado have participated in California.
“While college athletes power … billion-dollar media deals, salaries for million-dollar coaching, and luxury amenities that compete with those in professional leagues, fellow athletes are blocked from sharing in any of the profits who help them create it, “read a statement on Booker’s website. “Given the NCAA’s history of athlete exploitation, any legislation designed to provide fair and equitable compensation to college athletes should prevent the NCAA from limiting or regulating athlete compensation.
“College athletes should retain authority to determine and establish honest NIL agreements and have a clear voice in creating rules at their college, rather than under-control and micro-management primarily motivated by profit.”
College athletes deserve a share
Athletes in almost every sport have a small window of time relative to their entire lives to make money from their talent and achievements, and the NCAA robs them of that opportunity while their schools make profits and certain coaches make millions.
Gymnast Katelyn Ohashi, whose undeniably fun floor routines for UCLA have piled up millions of views on YouTube, should have made money when she paid attention to the program before graduating. If Zion Williamson could sign commercial deals with local and national companies, he might have spent more than one season at Duke.
The pressure is on
“The current state of high school athletics is inevitably exploitative,” Sen said. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). “The literal blood, sweat and tears of student athletes are burning up a $ 14 billion sector, but until very recently those students did not receive much in return and were vulnerable to being beaten. Reform of this system is about basic justice: racial justice, economic justice, and justice for health care.
“Our framework is focused on the principle of empowering athletes. We want to give university athletes the tools they need to protect their economic rights, track their education, prioritize their health and safety, and most critically hold their schools and organizations like the NCAA accountable. “
The bill is unlikely to come soon, not while Republicans have a majority in the House of Representatives, but Booker and those who want to support the proposal are in favor of the issue.
The time has come.
