National Labor Relations Board lawsuit and possible realignment ramifications

[shizzle787]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/15/business/nlrb-unfair-labor-practice-athletes-usc-pac-12-ncaa/index.html

NLRB only rules over private sector businesses, schools, etc., but it seems from what I've been hearing this will have ramifications for public schools as well. We are headed down a path where men's and women's basketball players and football players will be considered union employees of schools with salaries and heath/dental benefits.

If paying student athletes is a requirement to stay in the highest tier of college athletics, I believe we will see a culling of the herd. A lot of smaller private schools and public state directionals will not want to go down this path, and many FCS schools will not want to spend 2-5 million a year extra for their football programs.

Here are the conferences and schools I see complying with paying players (121 schools):
SEC
B1G
ACC
ND football
Big 12
Pac-12
Big East
UConn football
Atlantic 10 (except La Salle)
MW (except Air Force)
Hawaii Olympic sports (need to find a conference)
AAC
Liberty (need to find a conference)
Gonzaga (should they move leagues)

Here are the conference and schools I think may comply with paying players (140 schools):
UMass football
Navy
Air Force
Army
La Salle
Ivy League
Sun Belt
C-USA
MAC
Vermont
New Hampshire
Maine
A-Sun/WAC 10 football schools
Montana
Montana State
Idaho
Idaho State
Big West
CAA
Iona
Siena
Quinnipiac
Fairfield
Howard
MVC
Sacred Heart
Tennessee State
BU
Holy Cross
SWAC
Southern
Denver
NDSU
SDSU
North Dakota
South Dakota
Seattle
Grand Canyon
Cal Baptist
WCC

Here are the conferences and schools I don't think will comply (102 schools):
AE
Big Sky
Big South
Horizon
MAAC
MEAC
Chicago State
NEC
OVC
Patriot
Southland

The other thing I will note is with the A-Sun/WAC schools possibly forcing their way up, other leagues could do the same and the distinction between FBS and FCS could be no more.

 

[billybud]

Will not happen for public schools in mylifetime...I don't think.

State institutions, answering to the state legislature, would tie things up for a decade or three.

 

[shizzle787]

Will not happen for public schools in mylifetime...I don't think.

State institutions, answering to the state legislature, would tie things up for a decade or three.

Public schools are not going to fall behind while USC and Notre Dame are paying players.

 

[billybud]

It would be interesting to see the tax consequences for athletes as employees...the paradigm would have to change.

The $100,000 in tuition, the school provided housing, etc, all becomes an item for taxation.

Have to go full pro...forget being a student.

 

[billybud]

WASHINGTON — Notre Dame's athletic director and Northwestern's president emeritus said Tuesday that if college athletes ultimately are ruled to be employees of their respective schools, they foresee their universities withdrawing from the current setup of big-time sports.

"Notre Dame's just not prepared to participate in any model where the athlete isn't a student first and foremost — that's the hallmark for us," Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick told USA TODAY Sports after a Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics meeting here during which he appeared as a panelist. "If the entire model were to move toward athletes as employees, we'd head in a different direction. Our president has been clear about that. I'm not articulating a unique position."

 

[shizzle787]

WASHINGTON — Notre Dame's athletic director and Northwestern's president emeritus said Tuesday that if college athletes ultimately are ruled to be employees of their respective schools, they foresee their universities withdrawing from the current setup of big-time sports.

"Notre Dame's just not prepared to participate in any model where the athlete isn't a student first and foremost — that's the hallmark for us," Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick told USA TODAY Sports after a Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics meeting here during which he appeared as a panelist. "If the entire model were to move toward athletes as employees, we'd head in a different direction. Our president has been clear about that. I'm not articulating a unique position."

Do you have a link to the article? Also, I don't believe a word ND says on this. Northwestern, unlikely. ND, no way.

 

[goldendomer]

WASHINGTON — Notre Dame's athletic director and Northwestern's president emeritus said Tuesday that if college athletes ultimately are ruled to be employees of their respective schools, they foresee their universities withdrawing from the current setup of big-time sports.

"Notre Dame's just not prepared to participate in any model where the athlete isn't a student first and foremost — that's the hallmark for us," Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick told USA TODAY Sports after a Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics meeting here during which he appeared as a panelist. "If the entire model were to move toward athletes as employees, we'd head in a different direction. Our president has been clear about that. I'm not articulating a unique position."

Is this the article from 2015?

Just curious if they reaffirmed this stance.

 

[Viet Vet]

"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers".

(Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2).

 

[billybud]

Is this the article from 2015?

Just curious if they reaffirmed this stance.

They have not said different...Swarbricke says that he supports athletes, like any other person, being able to profit from their name...but he states that the NIL, as it is, is a sham and just another way to pay to get recruits.

 

[UConnJim]

I listened to an interesting conversation on Sirius about paying players. Basically, in the NFL players are paid and have a contract which prohibits them from moving to another team. Right now in college, the students can get paid (through NIL) but they aren’t tied to the school. The argument was if players are going to be paid, they will have to give up some rights like the ability to transfer at will. Players who want to transfer would have to negotiate with the school. And, kids could be released from their contract if the school wanted.