Are college and professional sports about to change forever?

[erod]

I post this here not for the added exposure (well, maybe just a touch) but for the far-reaching implications of a little-followed background story that is starting to blow up. It could change everything for college and pro sports, including our Dallas Cowboys.

It was announced today that the NCAA has ended, and will not re-up, its agreement with EA Sports for its annual NCAA Football video game. The newest release is its last release.
This is the result of a well-crafted and increasingly world-changing lawsuit by former UCLA and pro basketball player, Ed O'Bannon.

In a nutshell, O'Bannon is suing the NCAA for using the likenesses of college athletes in videogames, promotional highlights, advertising, etc, for profit without (1) compensating the athletes during or after college, and (2) allowing them to seek marketing opportunities on their own.

This case is so well constructed, many believe it may eventually end the NCAA altogether. Today's announcement certainly speaks to the concern the NCAA has over its case.

If successful, recruiting would change forever. Players could conceivably be openly bidded for by colleges, with lucrative endorsement offers, promotional campaigns, and image contracts. Athletes could become employees more than students.

It's also suggested that it could end the draft for all intent and purpose. Technically, the draft isn't a legal process. You can't be forced to work in Cleveland, so why should a professional athlete?

So like college recruiting, the draft could be replaced by a bidding war among teams for players. Like an unrestricted free agent pool of rookies every year.

This, along with the growing list of broke and broken former players out for money from the league with concussion and medical lawsuits, could change the NFL and other sports forever as we've known it.

Not good for us.

http://********.com/how-ed-obannons-lawsuit-would-dismantle-the-ncaa-489241635

 

[superpunk]

Awesome. Good for O'Bannon.

idk if anyone remembers but did the NCAA game from the year O'Bannon and UCLA made a title run have the players names on it? I think it did because that's kind of the only way I remember who Tyus Edney was.

 

[Future]

Long overdue.

The ideal of the unpaid athlete has been dead for a long time. Hopefully, this will expose the NCAA for being one of the most corrupt, exploitative, and contradicting organizations there is.

 

[Hoofbite]

Long overdue.

The ideal of the unpaid athlete has been dead for a long time. Hopefully, this will expose the NCAA for being one of the most corrupt, exploitative, and contradicting organizations there is.

You really don't believe that they're paid? They may not be allowed to say it but you don't really buy into all these guys choosing their school because of tradition and coaching, do you?

 

[Outlaw Heroes]

Pretty cool stuff.

I don't see the draft being threatened. Completely separate complex of legal issues.

Thought-provoking post nonetheless. Thanks.

 

[paladin]

I truly wish we could break this connection between higher level education and athletics. I know it will never happen, and if it did, how would we ever supply the worlds ever increasing need for kinesiology majors?

 

[erod]

I truly wish we could break this connection between higher level education and athletics. I know it will never happen, and if it did, how would we ever supply the worlds ever increasing need for kinesiology majors?

LOL, that's funny.

Another big issue is the ESPN/SEC deal. Why does the SEC need the NCAA now? Why do any conferences really need the NCAA? Can they not work out their own deals within their conference?

 

[Future]

You really don't believe that they're paid? They may not be allowed to say it but you don't really buy into all these guys choosing their school because of tradition and coaching, do you?

Might want to re-read what I said. "The ideal of the unpaid athlete is has been dead"...meaning I think players have been getting paid for a long time.

I think that the majority of athletes arent paid in cash, cars, and that sort of thing...but I think a college education is a ton of payment. So scholarships really make athletes professional, imo.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

I truly wish we could break this connection between higher level education and athletics. I know it will never happen, and if it did, how would we ever supply the worlds ever increasing need for kinesiology majors?

Agreed. Although there are many athletes that are deserving of scholarships from higher-learning institutions, there are many who are not. Those are the athletes that deserve some type of farm system.

 

[erod]

Might want to re-read what I said. "The ideal of the unpaid athlete is has been dead"...meaning I think players have been getting paid for a long time.

I think that the majority of athletes arent paid in cash, cars, and that sort of thing...but I think a college education is a ton of payment. So scholarships really make athletes professional, imo.

Actually, the majority aren't paid anything. A few select players are, especially at the high-profile schools

 

[Iago33]

Actually, the majority aren't paid anything. A few select players are, especially at the high-profile schools

If you consider scholarships payment, as Future seems to be doing, then in my experience it is the majority (even if they're not all a full ride).

 

[Future]

Actually, the majority aren't paid anything. A few select players are, especially at the high-profile schools

Depends how you define "paid." I would think that a $100k education is plenty of payment...others dont.

 

[Hoofbite]

Might want to re-read what I said. "The ideal of the unpaid athlete is has been dead"...meaning I think players have been getting paid for a long time.

I think that the majority of athletes arent paid in cash, cars, and that sort of thing...but I think a college education is a ton of payment. So scholarships really make athletes professional, imo.

I read it fine but just interpreted it incorrectly, apparently.

I thought your statement was about how the idea of unpaid athletes should be something left in the past. I took it to mean that you think they aren't paid but should be.........so your statement IMO was more about moving on from a dead concept.

My mistake.

 

[Wheeltax]

I consider a scholarship to be all the payment that should be necessary for college players. Some of them get better than that. I somehow doubt it was family money that bought one of the University of Memphis basketball players a school colors painted Bentley while I was there, for instance.

 

[RastaRocket]

I consider a scholarship to be all the payment that should be necessary for college players. Some of them get better than that. I somehow doubt it was family money that bought one of the University of Memphis basketball players a school colors painted Bentley while I was there, for instance.

I agree, and I have some good friends in the Purdue football program. I'm not sure if Purdue pays players (we usually suck) but they laughed when I brought up the subject of athletes getting paid in football. People need to realize, a lot of football players are making money in the NCAA and that is just how it is. Good players get paid, it's that simple. Do you really think not one player at Alabama is pocketing some dough?

 

[TheCowboy]

I got a friend who plays at Rutgers and he has said he gets paid in addition to the scholarship.

 

[Rogah]

I post this here not for the added exposure (well, maybe just a touch) but for the far-reaching implications of a little-followed background story that is starting to blow up. It could change everything for college and pro sports, including our Dallas Cowboys.

It was announced today that the NCAA has ended, and will not re-up, its agreement with EA Sports for its annual NCAA Football video game. The newest release is its last release.
This is the result of a well-crafted and increasingly world-changing lawsuit by former UCLA and pro basketball player, Ed O'Bannon.

In a nutshell, O'Bannon is suing the NCAA for using the likenesses of college athletes in videogames, promotional highlights, advertising, etc, for profit without (1) compensating the athletes during or after college, and (2) allowing them to seek marketing opportunities on their own.

This case is so well constructed, many believe it may eventually end the NCAA altogether. Today's announcement certainly speaks to the concern the NCAA has over its case.

If successful, recruiting would change forever. Players could conceivably be openly bidded for by colleges, with lucrative endorsement offers, promotional campaigns, and image contracts. Athletes could become employees more than students.

It's also suggested that it could end the draft for all intent and purpose. Technically, the draft isn't a legal process. You can't be forced to work in Cleveland, so why should a professional athlete?

So like college recruiting, the draft could be replaced by a bidding war among teams for players. Like an unrestricted free agent pool of rookies every year.

This, along with the growing list of broke and broken former players out for money from the league with concussion and medical lawsuits, could change the NFL and other sports forever as we've known it.

Not good for us.

[URL='http://********.com/how-ed-obannons-lawsuit-would-dismantle-the-ncaa-489241635[/quote]There']http://********.com/how-ed-obannons-lawsuit-would-dismantle-the-ncaa-489241635[/URL]

There is nothing in here that will change college or professional sports forever. We aren't going to see college players (or their likeness) in video games anymore, and other merchandising may have to change, but it's hardly an earth-shattering event. There may be some payouts to former players but again, nothing earth-shattering.

The concept of a draft is allowed for in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. While such a concept is indeed illegal under normal circumstances, once you collectively bargain, you are allowed to get around all sorts of rules. So the draft isn't going anywhere either.

 

[Nova]

The concept of a draft is allowed for in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. While such a concept is indeed illegal under normal circumstances, once you collectively bargain, you are allowed to get around all sorts of rules. So the draft isn't going anywhere either.

To reiterate, the NFL and other major sports enjoy different forms of antitrust laws. I doubt paying college players will change much.