Ruling from the NLRB is that the team can vote to join a union— they are, in effect, employees of the school. Between NIL and this ruling, I can’t imagine what college athletics will be like 3 years from now. Dartmouth has announced they will appeal the ruling.
Between NIL and this ruling, I can’t imagine what college athletics will be like 3 years from now.
It's going to be an absolute mess, that's what!
I'm still not sure how Dartmouth players unionizing will actually work. Dartmouth isn't a big money athletic monster like a Michigan or Texas, where obscene amounts of cash are being generated. Does a small time athletic program like Dartmouth even make enough revenue to actually pay for the things these players want, like insurance and revenue distribution? I don't think a single Ivy League football program even made money last year, the league is suffering from very poor attendance problems right now.
Does Fairfield make any money on sports? Several alumni have told me that athletics is just a write-off every year, it doesn't really generate tons of cash for the university.
And these Dartmouth players have a rude awakening when they get their first tax bill now that they're considered university "employees". It costs about $350,000 to attend Dartmouth, the taxes on that won't be cheap.
I’m still trying to grasp this ruling. If any Dartmouth players receive NIL money, that would be coming from a collective outside of Dartmouth; so it shouldn’t be a factor in the ruling.
This is from the Forbes article that one can link to in the first post in this thread: In Sacks’ decision, she noted “the basketball players at issue here perform work which benefits Dartmouth…. The Student-Athlete Handbook in many ways functions as an employee handbook, detailing the tasks athletes must complete and the regulations they may not break.”
Sacks is NLRB Regional Director Laura Sacks.
So apparently every athlete at Dartmouth that plays a sport where admission is charged for home games can be considered an employee because playing their sport benefits Dartmouth and they are bound by the Student-Athlete Handbook.
To me it’s obvious that if the players vote to join a union, there’ll eventually be an instance where union rules and NCAA rules differ. I think if I were in charge of men’s basketball at Dartmouth— I’d be considering dropping the sport entirely should the school not be successful with their appeal because I can’t imagine anything other than constant adjudication of differences becoming the norm there.
After all, the last time Dartmouth made the NCAA was 1959. Their last above .500 season both overall and in Ivy League play was 1999. I really doubt they get better attendance at the basketball games than at their hockey games. Considering the implications of having one sport’s team being considered employees and unionized, I would think the other Ivy League schools would support Dartmouth should they decide to disband the program.
It should get overturned by a court. So if a student gets a scholarship and follows the schools hours and direction to get their degree are they an employee? Where does it end? No money, no scholarships, no semi-pro basketball? We are losing or have lost our perspective for crybabies, look at me people, and get everything I can without regard to anyone else. No requirement they are on the team at the Dartmouth level. Maybe at a Power 5 or they wouldn’t get in on academics.
The Dartmouth men’s basketball team voted 13-2 to unionize today. Dartmouth can appeal and if the appeals go all the way to the Supreme Court — it’d probably take years before the process is completed.
… The university has 10 days to appeal after the results of the election are certified. The school could potentially continue fighting the idea that athletes are employees up through the Supreme Court -- a process that could take years to complete...
… In the Dartmouth case, regional director Laura Sacks decided the players are employees even though they don't receive athletic scholarships or generate large profits like some other basketball programs because of the strict control that coaches and athletic department officials have over the players' time and conduct. Sacks ruled that the free apparel, tickets and other support that they receive, which nonathletes at Dartmouth don't, qualified as their compensation
Laura Sacks is the NLRB regional director who decided that the Dartmouth team are essentially employees of the school and had the right to vote to unionize if they wanted to.
This is all the direct result of NIL and the transfer portal.
Both should be eliminated and a student athlete gets a free six figure education and 1 year sit out if you want to transfer unless there is a coaching change, PERIOD!
So then each schools athletic dept. will need to negotiate a contract with a union representative for each of their teams that votes to unionize. The entire process is spinning out of control.
This is all the direct result of NIL and the transfer portal.
Both should be eliminated and a student athlete gets a free six figure education and 1 year sit out if you want to transfer unless there is a coaching change, PERIOD!
Agree. Also not opposed to a small stipend of the same denomination for all players. A lot of these guys and families are cash strapped, and the time commitment to athletics disqualifies them from getting part-time jobs to get some walk-around money.
College sports because of the money involved from broadcast rights, apparel sales, ticket sales etc has gone so far beyond being student/athlete relationship it is now semi-professional. A recent court ruling has now allowed athletes to negotiate NIL opportunities and enter into NIL agreements BEFORE they sign a letter of intent to attend a school. What’s next with the recent NRLB ruling regarding the Dartmouth team? An athletic team at a school goes on strike before the season because an athletics dept. cannot reach an agreement with the teams union?
Post by alsostagparty on Mar 6, 2024 12:28:33 GMT -5
NCAA really blew it when they started favoring the high majors instead of treating all schools the same. NIL is the death of fair college sports. Might as well just create a semi-pro league without any academics involved whatsoever.
Unionism has truly gone overboard. Every job should unionize to make a level playing field…clergy, corporate white collar staffs, student tutors, landscapers, babysitters, car salesmen…you name it. Let’s raise the costs of every product and service. It’s only fair!
NCAA really blew it when they started favoring the high majors instead of treating all schools the same. NIL is the death of fair college sports. Might as well just create a semi-pro league without any academics involved whatsoever.
Unionism has truly gone overboard. Every job should unionize to make a level playing field…clergy, corporate white collar staffs, student tutors, landscapers, babysitters, car salesmen…you name it. Let’s raise the costs of every product and service. It’s only fair!
Hold on, NCAA as a body and Power Conferences are greedy monsters. Unionism is just a bi-product to level the playing field.
Unless they blow up the past two years decisions, the NCAA should just take the power conferences and form a pro league feeding the NBA.
Makes me want the Patriot League more than ever. Never will be able to compete long term in the current NCAA structure.
Let's at least compete with schools who have similar standards and values.
