Interesting - PAC-12 Players, apparently, unionize & are on strike until demands met

[FUBeAR]

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/pac-12-players-covid-19-statement-football-season

“To ensure future generations of college athletes will be treated fairly, #WeAreUnited.

Because NCAA sports exploit college athletes physically, economically and academically, and also disproportionately harm Black college athletes, #WeAreUnited.

In rejecting the NCAA’s claim that #BlackLivesMatter while also systematically exploiting Black athletes nationwide, #WeAreUnited.

Because we are being asked to play college sports in a pandemic in a system without enforced health and safety standards, and without transparency about COVID cases on our teams, the risks to ourselves, our families, and our communities, #WeAreUnited.”

...

“In forming alliances with college athletes from other conferences to unite with us for change, #WeAreUnited.

#WeAreUnited in our commitment to secure fair treatment for college athletes. Due to COVID-19 and other serious concerns, we will opt-out of Pac-12 fall camp and game participation unless the following demands are guaranteed in writing by our conference to protect and benefit both scholarship athletes and walk-ons.”

...List of 17 Demands follows

[OhioHen]

None of the schools have to honor the athletic scholarship of any player who is healthy and refuses to play. Will those schools have the cajones to play hard ball?

[Bisonoline]

None of the schools have to honor the athletic scholarship of any player who is healthy and refuses to play. Will those schools have the cajones to play hard ball?

They need to stop this **** right now. Either you play or dont show up for school as there will be no scholarship for you. But heres the thing---your playing clock is ticking. Its really that simple.

[FUBeAR]

Picked the wrong hashtag - shoulda gone with #PlayersLivesMatter...so obvious, how did they miss that?

https://twitter.com/fox4/status/1290106361607421958

[Bisonoline]

Picked the wrong hashtag - shoulda gone with #PlayersLivesMatter...so obvious, how did they miss that?

https://twitter.com/fox4/status/1290106361607421958

Sorry to see this but this is what happens when you over play your hand. IOW the tail dont wag the dog.

[walliver]

It's about time the NCAA splits into a college organization and professional organization. There are around 1200 schools who belong to the NCAA. Only 60 or so play with the P5. You can add in a few "I-AAA" schools, but there are still over 1100 schools which don't want to pay players, and quite frankly, can't afford to pay players.

The State of California will probably go along with this and the PAC-12 will cave and Mark Emmert will go along with it. It's about time the for many programs to completely abandon the "student-athlete" label. If these PAC-12 scholars need 6 years of health insurance because their supposedly prestigious Stanford/Cal/USC/UCLA degrees can't provide them gainful employment then these institutions have prostituted themselves for mediocre big-time football.

No-one is forcing these players on to the PAC-12 football plantation. If players have reasonable concerns about playing this fall, I have no qualms about them sitting out this year. Players who play football this fall may get COVID. Players who sit out the season may get COVID. Since a lot of the players live in California, there is a very high chance they will get COVID staying home or on a California campus.

[FUBeAR]

It's about time the NCAA splits into a college organization and professional organization. There are around 1200 schools who belong to the NCAA. Only 60 or so play with the P5. You can add in a few "I-AAA" schools, but there are still over 1100 schools which don't want to pay players, and quite frankly, can't afford to pay players.

The State of California will probably go along with this and the PAC-12 will cave and Mark Emmert will go along with it. It's about time the for many programs to completely abandon the "student-athlete" label. If these PAC-12 scholars need 6 years of health insurance because their supposedly prestigious Stanford/Cal/USC/UCLA degrees can't provide them gainful employment then these institutions have prostituted themselves for mediocre big-time football.

No-one is forcing these players on to the PAC-12 football plantation. If players have reasonable concerns about playing this fall, I have no qualms about them sitting out this year. Players who play football this fall may get COVID. Players who sit out the season may get COVID. Since a lot of the players live in California, there is a very high chance they will get COVID staying home or on a California campus.
Exactly the Professional University Affiliated League FUBeAR has proposed for several years. Teams can still ‘affiliate’ with Universities and make the Alumni happy to see ‘their Team’ wearing the colors / emblems, but these are Professional Teams (AKA bidnesses) that offer Education Benefits from their Affiliated University as an OPTIONAL part of their Benefits Package. Their ‘licensing’ agreement with their affiliated university will include revenue/profit sharing with the schools, of course. And Presidents / AD’s would have seats on the Teams’ Boards. The PUAL can decide to remain affiliated with / in some senses ‘governed’ by the NCAA if they like, but that’s certainly not necessary. Many more details...FUBeAR has it all covered though.

...it’s coming.

[JacksFan40]

The schools shouldn’t pay the athletes but if they can make money for their likeness or through endorsements from something like Nike, let them.
Getting your tuition paid for is a big deal, but most of them pick the easy majors and get nothing out of it.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

They need to stop this **** right now. Either you play or dont show up for school as there will be no scholarship for you. But heres the thing---your playing clock is ticking. Its really that simple.


This here.

Free education and get a degree, well of some of them. Now COA is added in. Easy travel and nice hotels. Food.

Entitled generation.

Play ball and get a degree. Simple trade off.

[cx500d]

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/pac-12-players-covid-19-statement-football-season

“To ensure future generations of college athletes will be treated fairly, #WeAreUnited.

Because NCAA sports exploit college athletes physically, economically and academically, and also disproportionately harm Black college athletes, #WeAreUnited.

In rejecting the NCAA’s claim that #BlackLivesMatter while also systematically exploiting Black athletes nationwide, #WeAreUnited.

Because we are being asked to play college sports in a pandemic in a system without enforced health and safety standards, and without transparency about COVID cases on our teams, the risks to ourselves, our families, and our communities, #WeAreUnited.”

...

“In forming alliances with college athletes from other conferences to unite with us for change, #WeAreUnited.

#WeAreUnited in our commitment to secure fair treatment for college athletes. Due to COVID-19 and other serious concerns, we will opt-out of Pac-12 fall camp and game participation unless the following demands are guaranteed in writing by our conference to protect and benefit both scholarship athletes and walk-ons.”

...List of 17 Demands follows
By giving them a free education, room and board, and a life experience few get?

If they don't like it don't accept a scholarship. If it disproportionately harms black people, I guess they should limit the amount of scholarships to black people to their proportion of the population so it won't be disproportionate.

[uni88]

The schools shouldn’t pay the athletes but if they can make money for their likeness or through endorsements from something like Nike, let them.
Getting your tuition paid for is a big deal, but most of them pick the easy majors and get nothing out of it.

xthumbsupx At that level, I'm not sure that football or basketball players can just pick any major. If there is a conflict between a class/lab and practice/team activities then you can be pretty sure that the team takes precedent. Are some of them encouraged to take easy majors so they have more time for their sport? Name & likeness is the simple way to let them profit without hurting the athletic department budget which helps to fund a bunch of other sports.

[cx500d]

xthumbsupx At that level, I'm not sure that football or basketball players can just pick any major. If there is a conflict between a class/lab and practice/team activities then you can be pretty sure that the team takes precedent. Are some of them encouraged to take easy majors so they have more time for their sport? Name & likeness is the simple way to let them profit without hurting the athletic department budget which helps to fund a bunch of other sports.

Complete BS....We've had football players graduate from pretty much any major... Is it harder - of course it is, but it's doable with appropriate effort. We've had starting football players in various engineering degrees graduating dean's list.

[uni88]

Complete BS....We've had football players graduate from pretty much any major... Is it harder - of course it is, but it's doable with appropriate effort. We've had starting football players in various engineering degrees graduating dean's list.

NDSU is not "at that level".

Yes, some students are able to study what they want and succeed (Justin Herbert being one) but I've also heard football players tell stories about having to change their major so what I described is commonplace as well.

[cx500d]

NDSU is not "at that level".

Yes, some students are able to study what they want and succeed (Justin Herbert being one) but I've also heard football players tell stories about having to change their major so what I described is commonplace as well.
What level are you talking about? Are you saying there aren't P5 FBS people that don't get the hard degrees? Some schools don't recruit students, they recruit athletes that barely know how to spell. How some of these P5 athletes qualified academically is beyond me.

[FUBeAR]

Yes, some students are able to study what they want and succeed (Justin Herbert being one) but I've also heard football players tell stories about having to change their major so what I described is commonplace as well.
This is true.

Inflexible NCAA APR / Progress toward Degree calculations & differing total hours by differing degrees can enter into these decisions, which can be exacerbated by a transfer. It’s complicated & can impact students across all majors & academic levels. FUBeAR Jr’s ACT score was 99th percentile (Mom is smart, I guess) & he had to change majors (from Computer Engineering to Computer Science) or quit football & lose his scholarship.

NCAA, as pretty much always is the case, really sux & has gives no fricks for the education & welfare of student athletes, indiscriminately, no fricks. Total sham of an Org.

[walliver]

I remember when most big time players were physical education majors.

Times have changed, now most big-time players are pursuing Sports Marketing majors. Many in fact, go far a Sports Marketing football career extending, I mean masters degree, to capture grad transfers and keep 5th year seniors. Since many of these players stay on campus over the summer for voluntary strength training, they are at risk of graduating with their sports marketing BA degrees before using up their eligibility.