Andy Staples on the Congressional hearing regarding the NCAA and NIL
As the courts and other entities move to radically reshape the college sports model, the White House will host a panel discussion Wednesday on various issues related to college athletes’ rights, including how college football players can formally organize, a source with knowledge of the meeting told On3.
The roundtable represents a notable development, if only symbolic, as the industry gradually moves toward potentially seismic changes that could pave the way for an era of collective bargaining in the years to come.
Among those invited to meet with White House officials: former Indianapolis Colts strategist Andrew Chance; ESPN college football analyst Rod Gilmore; ESPN anchor Kevin Negandhi; ESPN Desmond Howard; College Football Playoff Association Member of Executive Committee Jordan Meachum; And Keith Marshallco-founder of Players Lounge and a former Georgia returning star.
Topics are expected to include, among other things, safety standards as well as how college football players can formally organize themselves – an increasingly relevant issue that is sparking discussion among university leaders across the board. national.
In various regions of the country, legal procedures are underway and could create a significantly evolved new model of college athletics — one that would likely grant athletes more rights, protections and perhaps a piece of the broadcast revenue pie.
As public opinion continues to change, legal proceedings continue to multiply, and prominent industry executives are also gradually evolving on key issues.
our Lady Sports director Jack Swarbrickfor example, advocated Yahoo! Sports a concept that would prevent athletes from being considered employees but allow them to unionize and bargain collectively with the NCAA.
A growing number of legal experts believe a sea change is coming – it’s only a matter of time.
Courts could pave the way for collective bargaining
In the courts, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken Friday granted class action status for the remaining three classes of damages in the benchmark Home vs. NCAA antitrust lawsuit. The NCAA and Power Conferences could be ordered to pay some $4.2 million in damages to thousands of former and current athletes. More, NIL rule changes may be necessary to allow schools and conferences to pay zero dollars to athletes for any reason.
In the meantime, the plaintiffs Johnson v. NCAAancient Villanova football player Trey Johnson and other Division I athletes, are calling for athletes to be reputable employees subject to Fair Labor Standards Act. This requires covered employees to receive minimum wage and overtime pay, just like non-college athletes who participate in work-study programs.
On the National Labor Relations Board front, a virtual audience started Tuesday who will evaluate unfair labor practice charges against U.S.C.THE Pac-12 and NCAA. The case will focus on accusations that USC football players and men’s and women’s basketball players are employees under the law. National Labor Relations Act.
And a Boston-based NLRB regional director will soon ruler let it be 15 Dartmouth men’s basketball players can hold union elections. On September 13, a petition filed with the NLRB by the Service Employees International Union identified 15 Dartmouth players as seeking representation.
Rather than begin developing a new model for college sports, the NCAA continues to to lobby aggressively Congress for a federal reform bill. The association’s wish list includes a uniform national NIL standard, at least limited antitrust protection and a formal designation that athletes are not university employees.
Last month, the Congress held its 10th – and perhaps most fascinating – edition. audience linked to NIL. Among the witnesses: the president of the NCAA Charlie Boulanger, Big ten Commissioner Tony Petitti and Swarbrick.
