The commissioners of the power five conferences met in Chicago recently with a team of lawyers to discuss a recent antitrust lawsuit filed against those leagues, several persons with knowledge of the meeting told CBSSports.com.

Those commissioners see as a major threat to the basic NCAA model of amateurism a suit filed by high-profile attorney Jeffrey Kessler. The suit argues that limiting player compensation is “price fixing” and should be considered a violation of anti-trust laws.



http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...al-threats

Well, the lawsuit is real which is why they had 15 lawyers in the room. But the fact that the two lawsuits focused on just those five conferences as well as the NCAA made it such that the P5 can't just split off and run from them. They have to tackle them head on. It'll be an interesting year.

Nevertheless, I see the split coming because of this BS with player unionization

This stuff is really taking enjoyment away from the game. Even if I was strictly a 'Bama fan or Texas fan with no ties to G5 teams, I'd be ready for all of this mess to be finalized (whether it's P5 only, a mix, or something else). It's annoying waiting for the story to play out. The best story is on the field and it's written 40-60 minutes at a time, or 9 innings, or whatever you like to watch. I also wish we'd see some of this mega money go back into education.

(04-06-2014 07:42 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  Nevertheless, I see the split coming because of this BS with player unionization

Considering that most state laws prevent public school players from Unionizing...its really a ruling that just effects the Private schools. Not sure that will be impetus for a split since no one wants unions.

Which laws are those?

There are police, firemen and schoolteacher's unions in most or all states, no?

(04-07-2014 01:10 PM)TerryD Wrote:  Which laws are those?

There are police, firemen and schoolteacher's unions in most or all states, no?

Each state has their own. Connecticut currently does not allow it.

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local...23251.html

Every story that comes out just reminds me of this gem.

http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-epi...ssociation

(04-07-2014 01:21 PM)HuskyU Wrote:  

(04-07-2014 01:10 PM)TerryD Wrote:  Which laws are those?

There are police, firemen and schoolteacher's unions in most or all states, no?

Each state has their own. Connecticut currently does not allow it.

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local...23251.html

FWIW, I think if the Northwestern decision were to be upheld all through all the appeals procceses (which, IMO, will be unlikely), then, IMO the likelihood is that states' labor boards could see petitions from FB players at state schools to unionize. Many state schools, especially those with strong union respresntation, will, IMO be hard pressed to prevent this. The article you attached seems to confirm my hypothesis.

The bigger issue, IMO is not the issue of uionization, but that of the "employee" designation. If this decision is upheld and these players are "employees", then this changed characterization is likely to be applied, IMO, to ALL FB players - whether unionized or not. If THAT happens, then one can only surmise the potential impact. Scholarships taxed? What about other labor laws?

What about Title IX? Since I believe that Title IX only deals with student athletes, would "paid employees" be exempt? IMO, one could make the case that they are. If so, 86 scholarships could be removed from the Title IX equation. IMO, at the very least, the law would have to amended (good luck to getting Congress to do that, IMO).

IMO, this is a Pandora's box. Athough, IMO, the colleges and universities do have the upper hand here. If a college president said to the players, "look, if you vote to unionize, we are disbanding FB,....that would mean that you get to stay in school, but your FB schollie is gone as the program is termimated." (Something, IMO, they could do as schollies are one-year deals, renewed each year.) How many players would vote to unionize under these circumstances.

IMO, something will be negotiated short of unionization which addresses the players concerns (many of which are quite legitimate, IMO.)

Just my 2 cents

This day has been coming for a while. Too much money involved, and the institutions were too greedy. A refusal to share usually leads to these things.

As for Pandora's box, it was opened by the Supreme Court back in 1984 by the U. of Oklahoma case. Just took a while for events to catch up.

There is something that has been bugging with this whole "employee" BULL$HI+ and that is no one is even mentioning they are students - I saw taxable scholarships, but if these are employees paid for football, do we really think they are going to attend classes? Give me a break. The P5 better watch themselves or they'll sink Major College Football into just another minor league -- and let's be honest, who pays big bucks to watch minor leagues? NO ONE! Interest will fall, loyalties of people who actually went to school will wane, and the system will collapse down the line if this goes that route!

As for Title IX, it's always been about equal opportunities for men and women... it will only take one lawsuit after they remove scholarships for paying salaries of football players with the creation of employees - before the institution has to find pay positions for as many women! I just feel this is a rabbit hole that has NO positive outcomes for the P5 in the LONG TERM!

One key argument that the union movement has is that the players have to do extra work and get no college credit for it. That's a really simple fix for the schools - offer the sport as a class.

(04-07-2014 04:35 PM)IceJus10 Wrote:  There is something that has been bugging with this whole "employee" BULL$HI+ and that is no one is even mentioning they are students - I saw taxable scholarships, but if these are employees paid for football, do we really think they are going to attend classes? Give me a break. The P5 better watch themselves or they'll sink Major College Football into just another minor league -- and let's be honest, who pays big bucks to watch minor leagues? NO ONE! Interest will fall, loyalties of people who actually went to school will wane, and the system will collapse down the line if this goes that route!

As for Title IX, it's always been about equal opportunities for men and women... it will only take one lawsuit after they remove scholarships for paying salaries of football players with the creation of employees - before the institution has to find pay positions for as many women! I just feel this is a rabbit hole that has NO positive outcomes for the P5 in the LONG TERM!

Ice....as the saying goes, you can sue a ham sandwich, that doesn't mean you will win. If these players are reclassified as "employees" by the federal government, and Title IX only covers student athletes and not "employees" then, IMO, it will be very unlikely for such a lawsuit to prevail unless such a lawsuit is successful in overturning the "employee" classification (and, if that happens, I would guess the union issue is moot). The only other alternative would, IMO, be to rewrite Title IX to include these "employees." For that you will need Congressional approval and a Presidential signature. (IMO, good luck with all that!).

IMO, this involves less about what people think is "right" and more about what the law actually says.

(04-06-2014 07:50 PM)ncbeta Wrote:  This stuff is really taking enjoyment away from the game. Even if I was strictly a 'Bama fan or Texas fan with no ties to G5 teams, I'd be ready for all of this mess to be finalized (whether it's P5 only, a mix, or something else). It's annoying waiting for the story to play out. The best story is on the field and it's written 40-60 minutes at a time, or 9 innings, or whatever you like to watch. I also wish we'd see some of this mega money go back into education.

Beta, the older I get, the more I realize that most everything is like making sausage, even education.