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Do you think College Athletes should be able to Unionize?
I think that is something that should be considered only because it has gotten to the point that they are NOW so exploited.
How would you feel if Play station or Xbox made a game with your picture on it and you get zero money for that? Your college got millions of dollars because of your performance of the team ? Your coach got a 5 million dollar bonus for coaching and breaking school winning records?
What about the risk? What if someones son or daughter is a star athlete who has a traumatic brain injury while playing for the college? They could end up with life long problems and on medicaid and welfare- seen it with my own eyes!
Some of the students who get scholarships just because they are such good athletes- not often good students and are very poor- all kinds of stories like the colleges not providing enough food to these young people not even having clothes to wear. They often do NOT graduate and if they do not make the pros- there is little opportunity once they return home.
How does any of this make any sense? I say pay them as union or independent contractors and also let players play for what ever team they want without attending the school they play for. Because it is NOT about an education anymore - it is a business which makes millions off of television. It should be treated that way.
9 Answers
- REJJILv 77 years agoFavorite Answer
No. I've always been pro-union (even though they are not what they used to be), but this is the most preposterous thing I've ever heard. Especially because they are students first and foremost, and the students and university seem to be forgetting this. If this passes and they are able to receive income and benefits, then they no longer should be considered students, but employees of the university. And if that's the case, then those who have received scholarships for school has to pay it back and pay for their entire "schooling."
- ?Lv 77 years ago
Sure, but then forfeit your scholarship, and/or risk the university closing down the athletic program. It's all a trade-off. If I ran a college, and athletes organized, that would be the end of their sport and their scholarships. Done.
Most football programs actually fund all the other sports at the college. The "profits" are not as huge as you'd believe. And since most colleges are non-profit, it makes no sense. And most on the team actually do get scholarships. I hope the athletes choose correctly and reject such unionization...it's only their future at stake.
- picadorLv 77 years ago
Scholarships are already a form of compensation, but whether an outstanding college athlete has a scholarship or not, they should look for an agent and/or a lawyer to represent them in such things as sponsorship deals - both would represent them on a contingency basis - at least until they turn pro.
- ?Lv 77 years ago
This is a can of worms. For example, if athletes are employees should they be taxed on the value of what they get from the college, including FICA? Would the college be liable for worker's comp claims if they are injured? How many colleges would just discontinue athletic scholarships to avoid these problems?
- 7 years ago
No, they're not employed by the university. If someone is making money by using their likeness, the athlete can sue for a portion of the proceeds. They likely signed some kind of waiver that allow that to happen without compensation.
- Mr K DilkingtonLv 67 years ago
No, but profits made from college sports should be invested into some sort of general education fund. No one should profit (including "non-profit" universities) from a system where the participants are not compensated.
