Northwestern Players Trying to Unionize

[CMJ]

This would change college sports.

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/10363430/outside-lines-northwestern-wildcats-football-players-trying-join-labor-union

[Mean Green 93-98]

When only 22 programs in the country turn a profit, do college football players really want to go down this road?

[drex]

I cannot wait for the Northwestern players showing up at the SEC championship game picketing for the union...also, will they strike? Northwestern vs. Indiana cancelled due to players' strike, etc. This should be interesting.

[UNT90]

Northwestern vs. Indiana cancelled due to players' strike, etc.

If a tree falls in the forest...

[VideoEagle]

Grab your popcorn!

[VideoEagle]

If a tree falls in the forest...

How about when Notre Dame vs USC gets canceled for a strike.

[LakeTravis]

Players ineligibable for failure to make tuition payments because they spent it on a car & jewlery.

Players arrested for tax evasion.

Possibilities are endless, good luck

[MeanGreenTexan]

Players ineligibable for failure to make tuition payments because they spent it on a car & jewlery.

Players arrested for tax evasion.

Possibilities are endless, good luck

Right. This seems very ill-thought out. I'd expect more from that University in particular.

[cogido]

There is some lawyer behind this trying to find a new pot of gold for himself.

[JesseMartin]

I doubt this is about money and more about regulatory involvement. Guess we'll see. Still sounds kind of weird but who knows, good things may come out of it.

[DeepGreen]

I called this a long time ago, here and on other boards. When the big conferences start paying student athletics additional money like they have been talking about, the unionization of college athletes is bound to follow. And with it the increased cost to attend a game. You think the universities are going to pick up the tab? Nope. Get ready for those $125-$200 admission tickets. Or, $15 hot dogs and popcorn. Use professional sports as a gauge for the increase in costs for the average fan to attend a college game.

Edited January 28, 2014 by DeepGreen

[DeepGreen]

I doubt this is about money and more about regulatory involvement. Guess we'll see. Still sounds kind of weird but who knows, good things may come out of it.

No. Nothing good will come out of this if it gets traction.

[meaniegreenie]

"This union-backed attempt to turn student-athletes into employees undermines the purpose of college: an education," Remy said in the statement. "Student-athletes are not employees, and their participation in college sports is voluntary. We stand for all student-athletes, not just those the unions want to professionalize."

Yea, let them unionize. Then mark them as professionals and immediately disqualify 'em all.

[meaniegreenie]

I called this a long time ago, here and on other boards. When the big conferences start paying student athletics additional money like they have been talking about, the unionization of college athletes is bound to follow. And with it the increased cost to attend a game. You think the universities are going to pick up the tab? Nope. Get ready for those $125-$200 admission tickets. Or, $15 hot dogs and popcorn. Use professional sports as a gauge for the increase in costs for the average fan to attend a college game.

Yep, that's why we should never start the slippery-slope of stipends.

[MeanGreenTexan]

So at Northwestern, it costs $15,040 per QUARTER. That would be $30,080 per semester, and $60,160 per year to attend school full-time. Then, don't they get extra money for room & board on top of that tuition money?

The athletes are getting this tuition paid for them. $60k / yr is alot of money. Does this money not count to them?

[NT03]

Same school that prohibited bowl games for almost 50 years...

[DT 90]

Communist

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

Honestly, let's just get rid of the college part if the NCAA is going to be a semi-professional league. You can just go play for Minor League Football and work your way up the farm league of some team. Ask some baseball players how fun it is being trapped in a minor league system with no national exposure and sub-par athletic facilities while trying to get your shot at the Bigs. These colleges do more for these kids than they will ever realize.

[wardly]

These colleges also leave them out to dry if they suffer a catastrophic injury. University insurance provide little if any long term benefits [high schools probably provide even less]What they really need is to be considered employees and eligible for workman's comp.

[UNTFan23]

These colleges also leave them out to dry if they suffer a catastrophic injury. University insurance provide little if any long term benefits [high schools probably provide even less]What they really need is to be considered employees and eligible for workman's comp.

That opens a whole new can of worms then. I'm not sure if all of their scholarships are considered income or not. Even if it is I think scholarship moneys are taxed different compared to regular income.

[forevereagle]

That opens a whole new can of worms then. I'm not sure if all of their scholarships are considered income or not. Even if it is I think scholarship moneys are taxed different compared to regular income.

If memory serves, scholarships are not income, but grants are. Someone with more knowledge on the subject can correct if needed.

[meaniegreenie]

So at Northwestern, it costs $15,040 per QUARTER. That would be $30,080 per semester, and $60,160 per year to attend school full-time. Then, don't they get extra money for room & board on top of that tuition money?

The athletes are getting this tuition paid for them. $60k / yr is alot of money. Does this money not count to them?

Yeah, let's start taxing them too!

[GreenBat]

I cannot wait for the Northwestern players showing up at the SEC championship game picketing for the union...also, will they strike? Northwestern vs. Indiana cancelled due to players' strike, etc. This should be interesting.

FYI -- Northwestern and Indiana are in the BIG 10, not the SEC.

[UNTLifer]

These colleges also leave them out to dry if they suffer a catastrophic injury. University insurance provide little if any long term benefits [high schools probably provide even less]What they really need is to be considered employees and eligible for workman's comp.

Employees? Really? These kids get their education paid, in this instance to an expensive private institution with access to tudors and other academic support. Athletics is voluntary. They are far from employees.

[wardly]

About 20+ years ago a TCU football player broke his neck in a game. He spent the rest of his life in a wheel chair, and there was an annual golfing fundraiser to help pay expenses. He sued to be classified as an employee, but lost.The acceptance of all scholarships is voluntary. Athletics is the only one where you know up front that you have a chance of severe injury, but aren't told of what their liability is.This is the hole that I would like to see filled, which should be if they were insured. Do you have health care coverage that covers catastrophic injury?