Dodd: A revolution is brewing as athletes ensure the 2020 college football season will be played on their terms

[BleedGopher]

per Dodd:

College athletes will be leading the revolution. That much is clear now that what is reported to be a total of 1,400 football players from the Pac-12 and Big Ten have issued separate manifestos demanding their rights be respected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Big Ten players, under the banner "College Athlete Unity" released a list of demands Wednesday, three days after Pac-12 athletes (#WeAreUnited) released an even longer list.

The demands and threats may have been different, but be advised, this is a revolution.

The adults had their chance. It has not turned out well as they clumsily try to fit in a college football season amid a pandemic to gather revenue desperately need for their universities. There's only one problem for them: To get that money flowing in, they need their players perform.

A revolution is brewing as athletes ensure the 2020 college football season will be played on their terms

Big Ten and Pac-12 players are standing up for their health, safety and rights like never before

www.cbssports.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[Spaulding!No!]

We went from paying players to players playing.

 

[Livingat45north]

Pac 12: " Distribute 50% of each sport's total conference revenue evenly among athletes in their respective sports."

Run the numbers. As an example, Ohio State makes $200 Million in revenue (the U of M numbers are in a long report that I didn't care to read). I'll guess they have about 1,000 athletes. That means each athlete would get paid $100K per year. Six years of free tuition, free housing and free food, and 12 years of free medical, plus $100K per year. So you go to college, undergrad and grad school, get everything paid for, and walk away with $600K in pocket change. Sweet deal...

 

[Some guy]

Pac 12: " Distribute 50% of each sport's total conference revenue evenly among athletes in their respective sports."

Run the numbers. As an example, Ohio State makes $200 Million in revenue (the U of M numbers are in a long report that I didn't care to read). I'll guess they have about 1,000 athletes. That means each athlete would get paid $100K per year. Six years of free tuition, free housing and free food, and 12 years of free medical, plus $100K per year. Sweet deal...

It’s especially bold considering nfl players only make 48% of revenue

 

[GoGophersUMN]

Pac 12: " Distribute 50% of each sport's total conference revenue evenly among athletes in their respective sports."

Run the numbers. As an example, Ohio State makes $200 Million in revenue (the U of M numbers are in a long report that I didn't care to read). I'll guess they have about 1,000 athletes. That means each athlete would get paid $100K per year. Six years of free tuition, free housing and free food, and 12 years of free medical, plus $100K per year. So you go to college, undergrad and grad school, get everything paid for, and walk away with $600K in pocket change. Sweet deal...

That's if you split it among all sports equally.

If it's by sport, the Gopher football team brings in about $63 million in revenue. That would be about $300k per player per year or over a million dollars in four years. Women's tennis brings in $26k a year so that would be just over $1k per year per player. Not sure what counts as conference revenue and what doesn't.

No way Title IX would allow schools to give male football players over a million dollars while in school and give female tennis players about $5k in the same time.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Pac 12: " Distribute 50% of each sport's total conference revenue evenly among athletes in their respective sports."

Run the numbers. As an example, Ohio State makes $200 Million in revenue (the U of M numbers are in a long report that I didn't care to read). I'll guess they have about 1,000 athletes. That means each athlete would get paid $100K per year. Six years of free tuition, free housing and free food, and 12 years of free medical, plus $100K per year. So you go to college, undergrad and grad school, get everything paid for, and walk away with $600K in pocket change. Sweet deal...

I like the sentiment. I'm not sure how they think they're getting 50% AND a scholarship though. It's one or the other IMO. Also, is this 50% based on the school's income because if it is then it just makes the OSU's and Alabama's stronger. I'd rather each conference agree on their own equal payout at the minimum.

You could even have different wages for a 1st year - 5th year player, but I also agree with the poster above me that says Title IX would take issue with this so it would have to be equal among sports. I think a standard NCAA payment for all student athletes + the ability to make money off your likeness is the best solution.

 

[MplsGopher]

That's if you split it among all sports equally.

If it's by sport, the Gopher football team brings in about $63 million in revenue. That would be about $300k per player per year or over a million dollars in four years. Women's tennis brings in $26k a year so that would be just over $1k per year per player. Not sure what counts as conference revenue and what doesn't.

No way Title IX would allow schools to give male football players over a million dollars while in school and give female tennis players about $5k in the same time.

By letter and spirit of the law, when it was proposed and enacted, Title IX was merely about making sure that schools provided equal opportunity to participate in sports, at all levels (recreation, club, varsity).

It was never necessarily about ensuring that men’s and women’s varsity athletic teams matched spending, aid, and amenities, exactly dollar for dollar.

But that is the common perception of it now.

 

[Rescooter]

I'm going to be that guy....

I have no interest in watching Minor League Football under the banner of a College. I also have no interest in seeing colleges pander to players ever changing demands. As a fan of the old way (which has worked remarkably well for the last 100 years), I see no reason for me to back the above model.

 

[WindyCityGopher]

It’s especially bold considering nfl players only make 48% of revenue

That's because they have a really shitty union. A bunch of loosely organized college kids can probably do better than De Smith going up against Goodell and the owners.

 

[gopher7]

If it comes down to it, many current players would not quit. There is too much at stake for them. Any current players who do choose not to play will simply be replaced with any of thousands of lower-level college athletes who would jump at the chance for this same opportunity.

 

[Gophers1992]

I'm going to be that guy....

I have no interest in watching Minor League Football under the banner of a College. I also have no interest in seeing colleges pander to players ever changing demands. As a fan of the old way (which has worked remarkably well for the last 100 years), I see no reason for me to back the above model.

Nobody will force you to back the proposed changes, but the "old way" has not worked well for everyone for the last 100 years. You and I don't see where it "doesn't work" because we are just fans viewing from the outside.

I have similar concerns about what will happen to the sport I've loved for so many years, but it shouldn't be about what people like me want to see.

Don't get me wrong, a lot of the players demands that have come out recently are absolutely absurd, but it is ignorant to act like the system has been beneficial for all parties.

 

[gopher7]

Ohio State athletes make statement in support of their University's efforts.

 

[Taji34]

Ohio State athletes make statement in support of their University's efforts.

Interesting, however it makes sense. The "College Athletes are being exploited" statement aside, as that is a very complicated topic and I'm sure many student athletes have different feelings on it, it is totally possible the the conference as a whole is not doing enough in the eyes of student athletes, but any individual school is going above and beyond for student athlete safety.

I do question whether all the Ohio State Student Athletes actually feel this, as that is a large group of people. I feel like it would have been more genuine, like the Big Ten United letter, to have individual students sign if they agreed. This way we have no real way to know which student athletes had input on this statement, if any. It's completely possible the Ohio State AD drafted this, sent out an email to all student athletes asking them to respond if they disagreed, and then sent it out. I'm not saying that happen, just that the way the letter is presented leaves that as a possibility.

That said, I trust the statement is genuine and Ohio State is doing everything it can to make sure it's athletes are safe.

 

[builtbadgers]

That's if you split it among all sports equally.

If it's by sport, the Gopher football team brings in about $63 million in revenue. That would be about $300k per player per year or over a million dollars in four years. Women's tennis brings in $26k a year so that would be just over $1k per year per player. Not sure what counts as conference revenue and what doesn't.

No way Title IX would allow schools to give male football players over a million dollars while in school and give female tennis players about $5k in the same time.

The Gopher Athletic department makes between 1-3 million in a good year after expenses. Zero chance they are paying the numbers you suggest. Unless of course the players cover their expenses.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

As I noted in another thread, the NIL legislation is the camel putting its nose in the tent. NIL is a legal admission that college athletes have the right to market their likeness and do endorsements.

There is no game without the athletes. the big D1 schools are hauling in millions of dollars, based on the performance of the athletes. Yes, the athletes receive compensation in the form of tuition, books, room and board - but is that a fair compensation for what the schools receive in revenue?

the kicker is that revenue varies across the college sports landscape. big D1 schools haul in a lot from football and hoops. but mid and low-level D1 schools do not generate nearly as much revenue.

So, if a new compensation system is going to be developed, it will have to be based on revenue. And that in turn creates new issues with recruiting. players could wind up choosing schools based on where they could get the best deal. so this road is not without potential pitfalls.

 

[MaroonShaft]

I'm going to be that guy....

I have no interest in watching Minor League Football under the banner of a College. I also have no interest in seeing colleges pander to players ever changing demands. As a fan of the old way (which has worked remarkably well for the last 100 years), I see no reason for me to back the above model.

Im just glad you have absolutely no say in the matter. Time takes care of everything. Hopefully college football is unrecognizable in a few decades. The old way is broken.

 

[BigGopher69]

Free meals, housing, education, clothes, and a monthly allowance as it is. Let them make money of their likeness but universities paying athletes will be the death of college football

 

[builtbadgers]

Free meals, housing, education, clothes, and a monthly allowance as it is. Let them make money of their likeness but universities paying athletes will be the death of college football

They are not going to. Very few programs have the profit to pay anyone. Look it up.

 

[MplsGopher]

Payroll is always included in expenses, before profit is calculated.

College athletics aren’t for making profit, anyway. That’s not a thing. They aren’t businesses.