College players have started organizing: All Players United

Source:ESPN Outside The Lines
In a gesture that organizers hope turns into an athlete-driven national movement, players from Georgia Tech took the field Saturday against North Carolina with gear they had marked up to protest the NCAA's treatment of athletes on issues ranging from concussions to compensation.

ESPN cameras showed that players, including Georgia Tech quarterback Vad Lee, wrote on their wristbands "APU" -- All Players United.

Georgia Tech QB Vad Lee wore "APU" on his wristband Saturday as part of the "All Players United" protest against the NCAA.
No announcement was made before the game, and just after kickoff a statement about the effort was released through the National College Players Association, an advocacy group that supports NCAA reform.

Ramogi Huma, NCPA president, told Outside the Lines that the gesture was months in the making, with players from across the country having participated in weekly conference calls. He said high-profile players on other BCS teams that compete later Saturday have expressed interest in participating as well.

Everyone has been making money off the back of these kids. But these kids aren't allow to make any money of the work they do. Let's face it, to be as good as some of these kids are, it takes lots of work. Work for which you and I will be paid to do.
When the NCAA negotiates new contracts with the networks, only schools and NCAA and the networks are part of it. Coaches and their personal get rewarded just as much. But players get nothing. And NO, that scholarship doesn't come close to their market value.
Amateurism left college sports, once the NFL, NCAA and Networks got involved. When these kids get serious injuries, they are sometimes left holding bills to pay for the rest of their lives. Many of them can be easily kicked off the team or lose scholarship for very weird reasons. Coaches who recruit them can leave at any time. If players leave, they have to be punished, ... etc.
Time for the NCAA to revisit their old rules and make things more fair for these kids.

Pay them 1,000 dollars a month or whatever is the average college students income and take away their scholarships.

I bet they'll be pretty happy with how they're treated pretty quickly.

(I actually do think they should be paid. But it should be something pretty minimal on top of their scholarships, not a ton of money)

JSeahawks":aq8jh6o1 said:

Pay them 1,000 dollars a month or whatever is the average college students income and take away their scholarships.

I bet they'll be pretty happy with how they're treated pretty quickly.

(I actually do think they should be paid. But it should be something pretty minimal on top of their scholarships, not a ton of money)

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If the players aren't interested in an education they should have the option to take the monetary value of the scholarship, but then be responsible for paying for their own housing and meals.

First you have to get rid of the lies that are College sports, players that come that are good and want the education are a small percentage of the team, most have hopes of the NFL or other pro sports, its after they get there they find they are not as elite as they thought, the whole squad is their equal and or better and now are caught in the wash since they were never a student most their life, some find the inner drive to make themselves a student and take advantage of the tutorial programs etc.

The schools and NCAA need to drop the face of were just here to educate the kids and admit they use them to fund the school. Then adjust compensation whether its a payment or educational based on the individual player.

JSeahawks":c94i7egp said:

Pay them 1,000 dollars a month or whatever is the average college students income and take away their scholarships.

I bet they'll be pretty happy with how they're treated pretty quickly.

(I actually do think they should be paid. But it should be something pretty minimal on top of their scholarships, not a ton of money)

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So laughable and such a communist/socialist way to think. We live in America, man. Not the old Soviet Union, lol. Everybody should be able to make as much money as they possibly can. Nobody should be able to cap the amount of money you make. Certainly not the fraud known as the NCAA (or some fan, lol).

If someone (booster or school) wants to pay these athletes $100,000 or any amount of money, then they should be able to (and someone will). If there was a free market, where schools or boosters could bid for players, like they should be able to, then athletes would be fairly compensated.

Something like an MLB system, would be awesome for the players. And I would love it. I would love to see a bidding war for players, between programs like USC, LSU, Alabama, etc. (And Oregon is already good at it, with what they've done with Willie Lyles, haha.)

You can take away their scholarships away if you want, but I guarantee you someone would pay them FAR, FAR more money if there was a real free market. Some of the players would be making NFL like salaries and it would be perfectly fair, with the type of money, the fraud known as the NCAA, makes of these athletes.

It's unfair and athletes DESERVE a free market system, where they get paid fairly and schools are able to compete for their services. Compared to their talent and what they bring to the university, a scholarship is worth next to nothing. They deserve far more. I say that as a college student, because I'm smart enough to know that any athlete is far more valuable to the university than me and they need to be fairly compensated.

A scholarship at the UW is worth between $27k and $51k per year depending on residency status. If you want to pull scholarships and pay players what they're "worth", there needs to be the understanding that while your starting QB may be sitting pretty, a good portion of the rest of the 85 guys on a team are not going to make enough money to pay to goto school.

If anybody doesn't like how the NCAA is set-up, that's ok, you can watch Arena League football, and Canadian football and any other minor league that more closely aligns with your economic view on life.

I'll keep enjoying Pac12 football.

I find this whole argument stupid and completely short-sighted. Of those who are 'worth' the big money at each school there may be 3-5 on each team. The rest? And what about NCAA Swimming? Track and Field? Fencing? and so on. Those sports are all supported by the money taken in by the football and basketball teams. Those who support pay for play aren't thinking it thru. I do think the NCAA is a douche oversight group, but that's beside the point.

drrew":c3tgb3j4 said:

A scholarship at the UW is worth between $27k and $51k per year depending on residency status. If you want to pull scholarships and pay players what they're "worth", there needs to be the understanding that while your starting QB may be sitting pretty, a good portion of the rest of the 85 guys on a team are not going to make enough money to pay to goto school.

If anybody doesn't like how the NCAA is set-up, that's ok, you can watch Arena League football, and Canadian football and any other minor league that more closely aligns with your economic view on life.

I'll keep enjoying Pac12 football.

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Yours seem to align with prostitution with the NCAA being a Pimp or each school, what do these players do if they get a career ending injury and then the school drops their scholorship, kind of like a hooker losing one boob, they are not worth crap to the school anymore and won't have the funds to continue their education.

JSeahawks":2krkrwx6 said:

Pay them 1,000 dollars a month or whatever is the average college students income and take away their scholarships.

I bet they'll be pretty happy with how they're treated pretty quickly.

(I actually do think they should be paid. But it should be something pretty minimal on top of their scholarships, not a ton of money)

Click to expand...

This is the biggest crock of es h i tee I have ever heard in my lifetime. How much does the conference split on a natty? $47 million. How much on a Rose Bowl? $36 million.

Yeah, you know... lets just let those kids starve. NCAA sweatshop.

Edit: Take away their scholarships? Are you kidding me? Yeah lets just reduce the number of degrees earned by American people to line the pockets of others, to prove a point to young kids about how life is shitty. Dude, WTF is wrong with you? Life is not about trying to show people how hard it can be without support. Its about picking people up, giving them a chance, and rewarding them for their courage, conviction, and heart to go after their goals.

For someone on this board that is a huge fan of teamwork, the way the Hawks are like a solid group of people with a single goal, you certainly do not show that when it comes to real life stuff - like kids in college trying to keep the walls together so they can reach their goals and chase their dreams, dude. I love my college football just like any other good fan... but dude leave the kids alone. Not cool. :141847_bnono: :141847_bnono:

Jazzhawk":39vd5n2z said:

I find this whole argument stupid and completely short-sighted. Of those who are 'worth' the big money at each school there may be 3-5 on each team. The rest? And what about NCAA Swimming? Track and Field? Fencing? and so on. Those sports are all supported by the money taken in by the football and basketball teams. Those who support pay for play aren't thinking it thru. I do think the NCAA is a douche oversight group, but that's beside the point.

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I find your arrogance repulsive. These are kids that chose to enter into athletic programs at the college they wanted to go to. Take your pro sports hat off for a moment and read that last sentence. Shame on you for imposing your own future worth opinion on them for your own purposes. Have we as people really degraded to the point where we will chastise and devalue people in school, based on selfish greed alone?

Wake up man. NCAA isn't about you. It isn't about your team. Its about the kids in school that work hard every day to be the best they can be, and we should honor them and applaud them as such.

This board is getting to the point of complete disgust for me. Again, SHAME ON YOU.

The NCPAnow.org website described the "#AllPlayersUnited Campaign Goals" as:

• Demonstrate unity among college athletes and fans in favor of NCAA reform.

• Show support for players who joined concussion lawsuits against the NCAA, which could "force the NCAA to finally take meaningful steps to minimize brain trauma in contact sports and provide resources for current and former players suffering with brain injuries."

• Show support for the players who "stepped up in the O'Bannon v. NCAA, EA Sports lawsuit regarding the use of players' images/likeliness, which could unlock billions of dollars in resources for current, future, and former players."

• Stand behind individual players being "harmed by NCAA rules."

Those include guaranteed scholarship renewals for permanently injured players, the promise that injured players will not have to pay sports-related medical bills, an increase in scholarship aid by $3,000 to $5,000 per year up to the cost of attendance, and the establishment of an educational "trust fund" that players could tap into after their eligibility expires.

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I agree with all the bullet points. I think players should get some compensation for their likeness (ie. video games, jersey sales, etc.). Only a select few would get any money. Maybe 3-4 guys on each team is popular enough to sell jerseys anyway. The concussion issues need to be better monitored, especially at practice. And the NCAA has some of the dumbest rules I've ever heard of so yeah I think its time to make some changes on the NCAA rule book.

I wouldn't pay players though. If they are good enough to make money selling autographs, jersey sales, and likeness than that's fine. I wouldn't restrict that.

Players not only get a free education, room and board, and meals. They get tremendous coaching, work out facilities, trainers, free tutors, and a platform to showcase their skills. Thats got to be valued at atleast $25-50K a year. In fact I would lean more towards that being 50K atleast. Thats enough. Thats 200K on a 4 year full ride and you get a degree that opens doors for you to make a great living for life.

Lets be honest here. For most those kids if you gave them say a grand a month, just an example. Think about it. 18-23 year old kids with no bills other than paying for meals on weekends. Thats beer money. Suddenly half your team is alcoholics since they get drug tested. i bet the MIP's, DUI's, drunk in public, fights, disorderly conduct shoots way up if all these kids get "beer money".

chris98251":1m61oidp said:

Yours seem to align with prostitution with the NCAA being a Pimp or each school, what do these players do if they get a career ending injury and then the school drops their scholorship, kind of like a hooker losing one boob, they are not worth crap to the school anymore and won't have the funds to continue their education.

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Provide an example of this happening and then get back to me.

In the meantime I'll tell you about Tyresse Breshers and Zach Johnson. Two UW basketball players about 5 years apart who both suffered heart issues yet were still embraced by the program and had full academic scholarships honored.

Or Colin Porter, UW football player, probably had an NFL future but shoulder issues forced him to quit before last season, guess what, he's still on scholarship.

There's a saying about how the first person to bring up the nazis in an argument automatically loses, I think I'll extend that to anyone silly enough to equate playing cornerback at the University of Washington with turning tricks on Aurora.

Not a single player is forced into playing Division 1 athletics. Until or unless someone begins forcing them to play, they've made a deal in exchange for a free education, when they no longer like their end of the deal, they are free to leave.

CallMeADawg":17rewheq said:

JSeahawks":17rewheq said:

Pay them 1,000 dollars a month or whatever is the average college students income and take away their scholarships.

I bet they'll be pretty happy with how they're treated pretty quickly.

(I actually do think they should be paid. But it should be something pretty minimal on top of their scholarships, not a ton of money)

Click to expand...

This is the biggest crock of es h i tee I have ever heard in my lifetime. How much does the conference split on a natty? $47 million. How much on a Rose Bowl? $36 million.

Yeah, you know... lets just let those kids starve. NCAA sweatshop.

Edit: Take away their scholarships? Are you kidding me? Yeah lets just reduce the number of degrees earned by American people to line the pockets of others, to prove a point to young kids about how life is shitty. Dude, WTF is wrong with you? Life is not about trying to show people how hard it can be without support. Its about picking people up, giving them a chance, and rewarding them for their courage, conviction, and heart to go after their goals.
:

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Yes, I was kidding you. I figured that was obvious enough. I forgot you were a Doog fan, next time i'll use one of those little picture emoticon things to help you understand better.

JSeahawks":1gtx2h22 said:

CallMeADawg":1gtx2h22 said:

JSeahawks":1gtx2h22 said:

Pay them 1,000 dollars a month or whatever is the average college students income and take away their scholarships.

I bet they'll be pretty happy with how they're treated pretty quickly.

(I actually do think they should be paid. But it should be something pretty minimal on top of their scholarships, not a ton of money)

Click to expand...

This is the biggest crock of es h i tee I have ever heard in my lifetime. How much does the conference split on a natty? $47 million. How much on a Rose Bowl? $36 million.

Yeah, you know... lets just let those kids starve. NCAA sweatshop.

Edit: Take away their scholarships? Are you kidding me? Yeah lets just reduce the number of degrees earned by American people to line the pockets of others, to prove a point to young kids about how life is shitty. Dude, WTF is wrong with you? Life is not about trying to show people how hard it can be without support. Its about picking people up, giving them a chance, and rewarding them for their courage, conviction, and heart to go after their goals.
:

Click to expand...

Yes, I was kidding you. I figured that was obvious enough. I forgot you were a Doog fan, next time i'll use one of those little picture emoticon things to help you understand better.

Click to expand...

Make sure it has a coffee cup too. I'm a native of Seattle, thus require it to think that late/early. :mrgreen:

drrew":z4gjcd91 said:

chris98251":z4gjcd91 said:

Yours seem to align with prostitution with the NCAA being a Pimp or each school, what do these players do if they get a career ending injury and then the school drops their scholorship, kind of like a hooker losing one boob, they are not worth crap to the school anymore and won't have the funds to continue their education.

Click to expand...

Provide an example of this happening and then get back to me.

In the meantime I'll tell you about Tyresse Breshers and Zach Johnson. Two UW basketball players about 5 years apart who both suffered heart issues yet were still embraced by the program and had full academic scholarships honored.

Or Colin Porter, UW football player, probably had an NFL future but shoulder issues forced him to quit before last season, guess what, he's still on scholarship.

There's a saying about how the first person to bring up the nazis in an argument automatically loses, I think I'll extend that to anyone silly enough to equate playing cornerback at the University of Washington with turning tricks on Aurora.

Not a single player is forced into playing Division 1 athletics. Until or unless someone begins forcing them to play, they've made a deal in exchange for a free education, when they no longer like their end of the deal, they are free to leave.

Click to expand...

• Stand behind individual players being "harmed by NCAA rules."

Those include guaranteed scholarship renewals for permanently injured players, the promise that injured players will not have to pay sports-related medical bills, an increase in scholarship aid by $3,000 to $5,000 per year up to the cost of attendance, and the establishment of an educational "trust fund" that players could tap into after their eligibility expires.


This statement by the AllPlayersUnited as an issue says it all, it's an issue. pull your nieve head out of the sand, College football is about Money and funding the rest of the schools programs. Scholorships are awarded to enhance the team, there are only so many, they are renewed yearly or taken away. It's about MONEY. The schools and conference and NCAA want to keep all of it between them, giving players the right to market themselves would delute and set up other legal situations that the NCAA and schools would have to combat. Right now they make the rules and do what they want how they want.

The easy solution is to take football out of the title 9 equation and pay the football teams an extra 1000 a month. Also give them medical for life, they honestly are putting their future health on the line similar to the NFL players, yet they get nothing. I don't think they are asking for a lot, but the NCAA needs to take care of those who are responsible for making them rich.

Isn't the easy solution really to allow players to make the decision whether they want to play collegiate sports, or not play collegiate sports? Oh wait, they already have that option.

I'm perfectly fine with any current player not being happy with what they're receiving, what they don't seem to understand is that there is a simple solution, they don't have to be a player anymore. There are tens of thousands of young men and women willing to fill the spots for what is currently on offer.

According to a USA Today report, in 2012, just 23 of 228 Division 1 athletic departments are self sufficient. Of that 23, 16 (even though they technically didn't need the $) were still receiving subsidies from the University. So 7 out of 228 programs are not taking money from the rest of University to fund their operations. Athletic departments should be investigating ways to drive down costs, not looking for ways to add more.

College athletes should be paid according to the earnings of the school's athletic program including all revenue sources such as Pac 12 broadcasting deals. Further, the school should be required to provide full health coverage including insurance against injury.

It is ridiculous to mislabel college athletics as "amateur" sporting events. The major schools are making large profits from sports such as baseball, football and basketball. They then count these earnings into their general budget and often give massive salaries and bonuses to staff of the athletic programs.
College sports are a for-profit enterprise in what is supposed to be a non-profit public institution.

I would have no problem keeping the status quo of unpaid athletes if the schools were not allowed to earn a profit. Or if the schools who do earn profits were automatically exempted from all state and federal funding.

It angers me that my tax money is given to these for-profit schools who care more about exploiting students to pay inflated salaries and bonuses to executives than providing an education to their community.

I think it's also acceptable to allow college players to remain unpaid if the NFL was forced to drop the monopolistic rule that requires all incoming draftees to be 3 years removed from high school.

That rule in the NFL forces kids to play a dangerous sport with no medical protection if they wish to pursue a career. In no other field does our society allow such indentured servitude at the risk of grave, potentially fatal, physical danger.