NIL op ed

[GoldCy]

ND AD

IMO schools are starting to see the reality of athletes being treated as employees.
They should reap what they have allowed to happen. No protection from government.
It's my understanding that schools rely on individuals insurance to cover competitive injuries. Am I wrong?

 

[3TrueFans]

"the NCAA is in jeopardy of eventually breaking apart"

 

[CascadeClone]

I do think Swarbrick has his heart in the right place and is sincere. He cares about college sports and athletes. But he is kind of Don Quixote fighting the TV money and the interests chasing it.

Maybe ND will never join the B1G or a superleague. Maybe if the superleague rapture happens, ND will anchor the "new NCAA" with the 50ish left behind schools...

 

[BryceC]

Swarbrick, earning 2.5 million as of 2019, and earns way more than 99% of all AD's... says the money is out of control and athletics is in crisis.

Notre Dame's Jack Swarbrick's Salary is Way Higher Than Any Other Athletics Director

Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick's base salary is under $1 million but he earns $2 million in other compensation.

herosports.com

Notre Dame Releases Salaries for Brian Kelly, Muffet McGraw, Mike Brey & Jack Swarbrick for 2018-19

Mike Brey was the highest compensated Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach in the 2018-2019 fiscal year, according to tax documents released today by the university. But the federal disclosure doesn’t...

www.onefootdown.com

 

[Cyclonepride]

It's a complex issue, and yes, they should have been way ahead of it. Being treated as employees would destroy college athletics, and destroy probably 75% of the opportunities that lesser players get.

I think the NCAA could and would address a lot of these issues if there weren't politicians itching to declare them as employees if they start adding insurance and other direct benefits.

 

[GoldCy]

Isn't profit sharing an employee benefit.

 

[ISUTex]

Swarbrick, earning 2.5 million as of 2019, and earns way more than 99% of all AD's... says the money is out of control and athletics is in crisis.

Notre Dame's Jack Swarbrick's Salary is Way Higher Than Any Other Athletics Director

Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick's base salary is under $1 million but he earns $2 million in other compensation.

herosports.com

Notre Dame Releases Salaries for Brian Kelly, Muffet McGraw, Mike Brey & Jack Swarbrick for 2018-19

Mike Brey was the highest compensated Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach in the 2018-2019 fiscal year, according to tax documents released today by the university. But the federal disclosure doesn’t...

www.onefootdown.com

He's correct though.

 

[Mr Janny]

It's a complex issue, and yes, they should have been way ahead of it. Being treated as employees would destroy college athletics, and destroy probably 75% of the opportunities that lesser players get.

I think the NCAA could and would address a lot of these issues if there weren't politicians itching to declare them as employees if they start adding insurance and other direct benefits.

Respectfully, I disagree with this. Can you clarify why you think a player being an employee rather than a student destroys college athletics?

 

[Cyclonepride]

Respectfully, I disagree with this. Can you clarify why you think a player being an employee rather than a student destroys college athletics?

I believe that most small programs will shut down entirely if they are subject to those requirements.

 

[isucy86]

I don't think Swarbrick is wrong. There has to be NCAA goverance of NIL. I would think 10 smart people could get in a room an create a structure where players are compensated for their marketing activities vs. pay-for-play.

I am mixed about employee status, not sure it is a bad thing, but it could open up schools for significant medical liabilities that could cause schools to drop sports to limit their long-term financial risk. The NCAA came out on top in the recent CTE lawsuit by a former USC players wife, but that won't be the last lawsuit.

My biggest struggles with the current dynamic is:

1. It doesn't seem the legal system/Congress has put a value on an athletic scholarship. For example what is the equivalent hourly wage for a student athlete at Iowa State? Put a value on the scholarship (tuition, room, board, training services, coaching, etc.) and divide by hours spent on sport- are athletes making the equivalent of $20/hour? $30/hour? or What?
2. Revenue sports like football and men's basketball pay for the sport operating costs and academic scholarships for 300-400 other student athletes on campus. If football and basketball players earn a significant share of revenue, then I think that is the end of Olympic sports supported by Universities. Maybe they just become club programs.
3. The billionaire owners of professional football and basketball teams have been let off the hook by Congress. High School athletes should not be precluded from jumping directly to NBA or NFL developmental leagues.

But the NCAA has nobody to blame but themselves. Not so much from a financial perspective, but making sure the academic role of the student athlete is on a higher plane than the sport experience.

 

[nfrine]

Isn't profit sharing an employee benefit.

At some companies.

 

[PSYclone22]

Why does NIL need governance?

What would that governance entail?

 

[FriendlySpartan]

Respectfully, I disagree with this. Can you clarify why you think a player being an employee rather than a student destroys college athletics?

Well title 9 would force many programs to shut down as they already don’t make money and now you would have to pay them directly.

Long term liability in cases like CTE or lingering medical issues would also be an insane cost that would shutter programs.

Termination of employees for performance would become a thing and then wrongful termination would also be a major issue.

Simply put making student athletes employees is something no university president wants and would really hurt athletics. NIL needs fixing but it’s providing a lot of money to the people who are driving the revenue and also to non revenue sports like LSU gymnastics

 

[CycloneNorth]

He's correct though.

He is. Things do change.

 

[Mr Janny]

Well title 9 would force many programs to shut down as they already don’t make money and now you would have to pay them directly.

Long term liability in cases like CTE or lingering medical issues would also be an insane cost that would shutter programs.

Termination of employees for performance would become a thing and then wrongful termination would also be a major issue.

Simply put making student athletes employees is something no university president wants and would really hurt athletics. NIL needs fixing but it’s providing a lot of money to the people who are driving the revenue and also to non revenue sports like LSU gymnastics

But the obstacles that you are describing are not different for any other business that has employees, and yet plenty of businesses thrive, even in the area of sports entertainment. Why should college athletics be exempted from the rules that the rest of the country has to follow?

 

[PSYclone22]

Well title 9 would force many programs to shut down as they already don’t make money and now you would have to pay them directly.

Long term liability in cases like CTE or lingering medical issues would also be an insane cost that would shutter programs.

Termination of employees for performance would become a thing and then wrongful termination would also be a major issue.

Simply put making student athletes employees is something no university president wants and would really hurt athletics. NIL needs fixing but it’s providing a lot of money to the people who are driving the revenue and also to non revenue sports like LSU gymnastics

Regarding the CTE and wrongful termination: isn't it a good thing that athletes should be able to access long term health care or argue they legally met the criteria to continue to work but we're wrongfully let go?

There are, what, a few thousand university presidents and a few hundred thousand athletes? It's okay to support the athletes. Athletics won't disappear.

 

[FriendlySpartan]

Regarding the CTE and wrongful termination: isn't it a good thing that athletes should be able to access long term health care or argue they legally met the criteria to continue to work but we're wrongfully let go?

There are, what, a few thousand university presidents and a few hundred thousand athletes? It's okay to support the athletes. Athletics won't disappear.

I will always be in favor of healthcare access however that will increase costs to a staffing degree that many universities simply won’t be able to afford.

 

[FriendlySpartan]

But the obstacles that you are describing are not different for any other business that has employees, and yet plenty of businesses thrive, even in the area of sports entertainment. Why should college athletics be exempted from the rules that the rest of the country has to follow?

But they are different. In college sports only two programs bring in revenue the rest only survive due to that revenue. Having those non revenue sports become employees will send costs skyrocketing. Medical, legal, liability, will all go through the roof and that’s not even counting the salaries. All that will combine to close down many teams and sports entirely.

 

[ISUTex]

He is. Things do change.

Yes. For example, the Russians got rid of their Czar. Things do change.

 

[Mr Janny]

But they are different. In college sports only two programs bring in revenue the rest only survive due to that revenue. Having those non revenue sports become employees will send costs skyrocketing. Medical, legal, liability, will all go through the roof and that’s not even counting the salaries. All that will combine to close down many teams and sports entirely.

Nearly all businesses have functional areas that make money and others that don't. I work in IT, generally considered to be a budgetary sucking hole by most organizations. My company somehow seems to get by with not all areas being revenue generators.