I'm not expert on collective bargaining in any way shape or form so please correct me if I am wrong, but isn't it for the benefit of the masses? Agree top guys wouldn't like it, but I don't think they would have an option if 95% of players demanded it (along with the schools who desperately want and need some rules and order to this madness).
A player can't be forced to join a union, though. If the top end guys decide they don't think that union membership would be beneficial to them, they don't join. And the union doesn't get the benefit of their clout in negotiations.
It won't really change anything. That money is already getting to the players. These guys all want to get to the NFL. You don't get there sitting on a bench with no film.
Only if they are allowed to shift that money from media over to the players. Right now, I have not read about a huge shift with school telling their fans to give their donations to NIL instead of the school. Look at ISU you have to donate to move to the better seats, is the university going to allow you to donate the money to the Cyclone NIL instead of the university, and still count it like they currently do?
Understand your point to some extent, but I just can't see this as a big issue. There would be different levels of pay for experience ability and performance and a salary cap... its not like everyone makes the same. It would function just like the NFL which appears to work.
I really only see unions being attractive to 1) programs that can't compete at a high level, 2) guys that aren't in the 2-deep, and 3) sports outside of CFB and CMBB.
You're already ten steps ahead though. I think there are significant challenges to even get the union formed to negotiate things like a salary cap and levels of pay. And even if the union does get formed, and a star player decides not to join, are they subject to the rules negotiated by the union? If a university tries to enforce those rules on a non union player, does it invite lawsuits?
Those leagues and their corresponding unions existed prior to things like free agency and salary caps. Additionally, the potential for longer careers in the established pro leagues, makes some of the benefits that the union provides more attractive. With 4-5 years of max eligibility in a college sports union, things like pensions and long term care, won't likely be on the table, or if they are, they won't carry as much value as they do in leagues where the career lengths are much longer.
Yea, not sure most fans want to be footing the bill for college football/basketball players to make more money than they take home to feed their families annually. Agree that donations and attendance would probably drop.
Kinda depends what state your team is wouldn’t it be, whether you would be forced to join a union?
Admin salaries, coaching salaries, travel and recruiting costs will not change. Facility spend and money needed to pay for athlete amenities will not change. So they may "split" the revenues, but only if they have more coming in to cover the new out flows.
That's why the Big10/SEC are aggressively trying to add brands. ESPN and FOX were willing to pay the Big10/SEC $30M+ more than Big12/ACC. And more recently the Big10/SEC strong-armed the Big12/ACC to get a bigger share of 12 team CFP revenue. In the 4 team structure all P5 schools were getting $6-$8M. The Big12 schools were each getting most since we only had 10 teams in conference. Now the Big10 & SEC are getting $22M per school and Big12 schools are getting around $13M annually.
Sort of. If they created a union security agreement a player can refuse to join, or join as an objector, which may require a portion of the dues, but nowhere can they require full union membership, outside of a few very specific industries, where exceptions have been made. But regardless, there are enough right to work states that it makes the prospect of forced union membership nearly moot.
Maybe sounds good in theory. But Universities are greedy little buggers. If a new source shows up to pay tuition, you think they will not take advantage of it? Tuition goes up, the student keeps paying the same, and all the extra money goes into the University pot of gold. You can't beat 'em. They are worse than government, IMO. At least the government has to win your vote.
