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Dan Murphy, ESPN Staff Writer
UAB soccer players said all of their players are registered on Athletes.org, making them the first Division I soccer team to publicly participate in the players' association. They were introduced to this group by an unexpected person: their head coach.
Trent Dilfer gathered his team for a voluntary meeting in mid-April to encourage them to prepare for a future in which college athletes might be able to negotiate for a greater share of sports revenue. .
“They're going to have a seat at the table,” Dilfer told ESPN. “I wanted to help put the gas on something that was going to happen no matter what happened. Use my influence to make it happen sooner on behalf of our players. It might be better.”
Dilfer referred the team to Athletes.org, one of several companies looking to organize athletes for potential revenue-sharing discussions. UAB players told ESPN that everyone on the team signed up to join the organization after hearing that pitch.
Although the team has no plans to negotiate with schools at this time, the decision to participate en masse symbolizes growing momentum among players to organize. Quarterback Jacob Zeno said the move shows players' growing interest in having a say in the new model for college sports.
“In a sense, we are being scammed out of money and decisions are being made behind our backs,” Zeno told ESPN. “This is not fair at all because we have so much going on for our sports, our schools, our conferences. We at least want to know what's going on and what decisions are being made. You have a right to know.”
UAB did not immediately comment when reached Monday morning.
The college sports industry is in the midst of unprecedented change. Numerous legal challenges, including antitrust lawsuits, employment complaints and competing state laws, are pushing the NCAA toward a more specialized business model. Changing rules have made it difficult for association, conference, and school athletic directors to manage their sports. This spring, a growing number of NCAA decision-makers are acknowledging that they may ultimately need to negotiate with players to regain some control.
Athletes.org (AO) founder Jim Kaberle said reaching bargaining agreements would be easier and more efficient if athletes were represented by a single organization, like the player associations that exist in professional sports. He states that he is deaf. His company is one of several that will compete to fill the role if negotiations occur.
There are a number of important unanswered questions that could shape future negotiations. Which players have the opportunity and leverage to negotiate? How do they group themselves (by sport, by league, by other units)? Do they bargain as unionized employees or as independent contractors who seek a share of their television appearance fees through collective agreements for name, image and publicity rights?
Cavale said he believes he will get an answer within the next 12 to 15 months, likely through a settlement of the pending House of Representatives v. NCAA antitrust lawsuit, in which players are facing lucrative broadcast deals for sports. They argue that a portion of the amount should be reduced. A loss in court could cost the NCAA billions of dollars. Several athletic directors from power conferences have also told ESPN in recent weeks that they hope the House lawsuit settlement could be the catalyst for a new revenue-sharing system.
Continued attempts to formally unionize some athletes through the National Labor Relations Board could also have a major impact on future collective bargaining models. The NLRB argues in two pending cases, Dartmouth and USC, that some players are employees of the schools and have the right to form unions. Dartmouth is appealing a recent ruling that gave basketball players the right to form a union. In the USC case, both sides are scheduled to make closing arguments before an administrative law judge in July. Both cases are expected to reach a conclusion within the next year, as the appeal process is expected to be lengthy.
The NCAA has been adamant that athletes should not be considered employees. NCAA President Charlie Baker told ESPN earlier this year that while he drew a hard line on hiring, he thought some type of player association could be “very proactive.”
Each organization seeking to represent athletes at the bargaining table employs slightly different strategies to garner essential athlete support. Currently, the two organizations that manage or represent NIL-based collectives, the Collective Association and SANIL, have established that existing relationships between collectives and athletes mean that these organizations negotiate a portion of television rights fees. He said that it would be easier to distribute the money to the players. The College Football Players Association, an organization founded by a former Minnesota professor, has used more traditional labor organizing methods to grow its membership.
Cavale and AO CEO Brandon Copeland said they are currently laying the groundwork so players can take advantage of any models that arise from the current uncertain legal landscape.
“We're not there to boycott them, but we understand the power they can have,” Cavale said. “When the time comes to negotiate, we are prepared to include UAB in those negotiations. “I'm doing that” conversation. “
According to the AO, its current membership is made up of 2,945 college athletes, including 1,348 from power conference football, men's basketball and women's basketball players, a group Cavale refers to as the “Power 10k.” This is because there are approximately 10,000 athletes who fall into that category. He said he hopes to have half of the Power 10k enrolled in his organization by the end of 2024.
Members have free access to support services such as legal advice, second medical opinions, and mental health professionals. The company is funded by venture capital investors and plans to profit from some group licensing agreements it hopes to enter into on behalf of its members in the future. By comparison, the College Football Players Association funds attempts to organize players through donations and membership dues.
Copeland, a recently retired linebacker who taught classes at Ivy League schools and served as a player representative for the NFLPA during his 10-year pro career, is focused on growing membership and teaching players more about their industry. He said he left behind. He told ESPN that he is trying to thread the needle between steering athletes toward future models and coaching them as they seek to learn more.
Copeland said most of the outreach to players was done through social media and word-of-mouth campaigns prior to the UAB meeting. He and Cavale said they are in talks with several power conference schools about setting up visits with the entire team in the coming months.
“It was really one-on-one,” Copeland said. “To enter a room like this [UAB], I hope this will have a domino effect. ”
Copeland said one of their challenges will be convincing players who are “in many ways living the dream right now” that they aren't getting everything they can get. . When he gave a presentation to his UAB team earlier this month, Copeland said the players had some “aha” moments.
At one point, Copeland asked the players how many of them felt the NCAA had their best interests in mind when forming new business models. No one in the room raised their hand.
Zeno and running back Isaiah Jacobs, who is in his final season as Blazers quarterback, told ESPN that the team meeting was an “eye-opening” experience. Zeno said the need for a players' association was reinforced after hearing that coaches, schools and athletic directors each had their own trade associations to voice their opinions on what the future of the sport should be. Told.
“They're all making decisions and we're not one of them,” Zeno said. “Having a platform gives players a lot of power. This is a really big thing.”
Jacobs said he sees a future in which a broader pool of players can seek other resources, such as more TV revenue and more mental health support from schools.
Jacobs said Dilfer's confidence in the AO was a key factor in the contract decision. Dilfer told ESPN that although he has no vested interest in AO's business, he believes in their approach and is happy with some of the resources currently being provided to players. Dilfer said he believes coaches who advocate “player-centeredness” should encourage team organization.
“I think this is a revelatory time for college football coaches,” Dilfer said. “It makes it clear whether they're talking about the players or themselves. There's nothing wrong with them talking about themselves, but the players don't want to talk about it. You will know.”
