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How a law could revolutionize the US college sports system

2019-11-21T09:37:57.985Z


College sports are a billion dollar business in the US, but athletes barely benefit from their talents. That should change now. The plan has prominent supporters - but also powerful opponents.



Imagine the following: You have an extraordinary talent, and you are bringing millions to your employer. It offers top conditions, plus food and lodging. If you smear spread cheese over your toast instead of the permitted marmalade in the morning, that's one reason to fire it.

Granted, that's a little over the top. In fact, these jam rules have not been in college sports for a few years now - and it would not have been taken to extremes. In essence, this is the agreement that hundreds of thousands of athletes meet each year with colleges and universities in the United States: sports achievements against a full scholarship. Their amateur status is strictly regulated, unauthorized extra income, an invitation to eat around, a YouTube channel or a tattoo in exchange for autograph cards, can lead to severe sanctions.

This last case made headlines nine years ago as Tattoogate, as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the umbrella organization for more than 1,000 universities and colleges, launched investigations against players of the Ohio State Buckeyes and barred them as they signed autographs for tattoos and memorabilia of theirs University had sold.

From the investigator to the supporter

"When I left one of the conversations with one of the young men, I felt pretty ill because of what we were doing," says Tim Nevius in an interview with SPIEGEL. Nevius worked as an investigator for the NCAA, and after five years moved to the law office of Jeffrey Kessler, who represents the NBA and NFL players' unions as well as the American footballers. Today, former NCAA baseball player Nevius runs a law firm for college athletes and, a few months ago, founded the nonprofit College Athlete Advocacy Initiative to help college athletes fight for fair terms.

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Markus Hintzen / DER SPIEGELSpeitzensportler team up against exploitationThe Freischwimmer

College sports are a billion dollar business in the US, and universities spend millions on opulent arenas and salaries of start-up coaches, concluding lucrative TV and sponsorship deals. The accusation that the universities would be too enriched by the reputation of their athletes, has led in recent years increasingly to lawsuits and investigations. Recently, a law was passed in the US state that could revolutionize the previous system.

Through the so-called Fair Pay to Play Act, the universities in California are no longer allowed to prohibit their athletes from marketing themselves and earning their own fame. The NCAA, which recently reported annual sales of $ 1 billion, allows this in principle - but only if there is no association with college sports.

LeBron James calls it a "historic turn"

The California law comes into force in 2023. More than a dozen states have followed similar templates. And even at the federal level, a bill has already been introduced. "There is support at the state and federal levels, by Republicans and Democrats," says Nevius, "even the majority of coaches are according to a survey for the abolition of these absurd limitations."

College athletes are workers. Pay them. https://t.co/PNEefTbS2O

- Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 6, 2019

Support also comes from the greats of the sport. Baketball star LeBron James, who did not go to college himself but jumped directly into the NBA, called the bill a "historic turn" when California governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill to his show "The Shop."

Lakers' LeBron James on "fair pay to play": "If he had gone to OSU," that "jersey would have been sold all over the place without my name on the back." My body would have been out of the NCAA game 2004. The [arena] had me and my mom did not have anything. "Pic.twitter.com/3jYpbFzSna

- Ben Golliver (@ BenGolliver) September 30, 2019

But the law also has powerful opponents. The NCAA, for example, had threatened to drop out of college championships with the exclusion of California universities. California State University, the University of California, the University of South California and Stanford University were all against the law. "The NCAA is known for spreading fear and intimidating to achieve what they want," says Nevius. And means above all the athletes.

One of the main arguments of the other side: The athletes would receive in return for their achievements best training conditions, a chance for a professional career and a free first-class education. "The deal is not free, it costs a lot," says Nevius. "Athletes work 40 to 50 hours a week, risking their health for a multi-billion dollar industry, and are committed to putting their academic education behind them."

In addition, it is said that the athletes would have no incentive to learn at all, if they already earned a lot of money at the university. "A very privileged point of view," says Nevius. "Why would not someone who has money want to study?" In fact, extra income for low-income athletes, who made up a disproportionate share of college athletes, could help reduce pressure and reduce anxiety.

Still others say the law would attack the essence of college sports, corrupt a "pure, innocent system." After all, amateur status is what makes college sport so attractive. When asked, Nevius laughs: "The time of innocence has been over for decades now that they've decided to put the quest for profit above everything else."

Recently, the NCAA tried a new strategy. She announced that it would check whether it was compatible that the self-marketing athletes would make profits while keeping their amateur status untouched. For Nevius a fig leaf. After all, the association would have to look only for the largest sporting event in the world: Olympic athletes are also regarded as amateurs. Nothing will change, Nevius believes, "as long as the NCAA is not forced by law."

Source: spiegel

All sports articles on 2019-11-21

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