Ten current college athletes have signed on to a public campaign advocating for a more equitable allocation of athletic department revenue. The athletes are asking for a share of the revenue their teams drive — split equally among all the athletes on the team — as well as the expansion of scholarships to cover six years, the protection of current NIL freedoms from Congressional involvement and the institution of scholarships for Ivy League athletes. Here’s what you need to know.
- The effort is led by the National College Players Association, which has supported public campaigns in the past such as #NotNCAAProperty, in which athletes pushed for NIL rights and reform during March Madness in the spring of 2021.
- This campaign is focused on restrictions that limit direct payment from schools and conferences to athletes, as well as potential Congressional involvement in NIL regulations that would add restrictions around what opportunities are permissible for athletes to pursue. The campaign will use the “FairRevShare” hashtag on social media.
- Michigan basketball player Hunter Dickinson and Pitt basketball player Jamarius Burton will both wear a letter “S” for “Share” written on their hand when their teams play each other in Wednesday night’s men’s basketball game. Some of their peers will also be wearing the letter “S” during games.
What they’re saying
“The ‘S’ on our hands is a call for economic freedom and fairness,” Dickinson said in a statement. “I may be gone before change happens, but I want to do my part to stand up for the freedoms of younger athletes and future generations. The time for fair revenue share is long overdue.”
How did we get here?
College sports is at an inflection point, facing external pressure from Congress, the courts and the National Labor Relations Board, any of which could drastically reshape the financial model that supports collegiate athletics. Will athletes end up characterized as employees? Will conferences and/or schools have to share revenue with them? No one knows exactly what will happen, or which specific domino to fall will be the one that introduces a new economic reality.
The NCPA is an organization that has tried for years to exert pressure on the NCAA and the system at large. Last month, the NCPA announced it had filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice against the NCAA for illegally restricting college athlete compensation. Executive director Ramogi Huma has been involved in other efforts to recruit players for collective action, including Northwestern’s failed unionization effort back in 2015.
The economic climate surrounding college sports has changed drastically in the last decade or so, as coaching salaries have grown exponentially and athletes themselves have spoken up more about the power imbalances within the industry. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 9-0 in a June 2021 decision that held the NCAA could not cap academic-related benefits for athletes. But the ruling itself, as well as a scathing concurring opinion authored by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, suggested a willingness to engage with broader challenges to the collegiate model. Now, high-ranking college administrators are tracking the implications of ongoing cases including Johnson v. NCAA and House v. NCAA, in addition to the DOJ complaint and efforts from the National Labor Relations Board to intervene regarding athletes’ employee status.
The pressure on the NCAA has never been greater than it is right now, as the organization itself has tried to reform and decentralize some of its decision-making to avoid antitrust issues. Athletes continue to speak out against the status quo, though they’ve come short of actually organizing, unionizing and/or striking. – Auerbach
Significance of Dickinson’s involvement
Dickinson has a huge platform as a three-year starter and returning All-American. He’s also an example of the way NIL has transformed college basketball. Dickinson, a 7-foot-1 center from Alexandria, Va., tested the NBA Draft waters after his freshman season and likely would be playing professionally if not for the NIL opportunities he’s had at Michigan. His involvement should give this campaign for revenue sharing a wider reach.
Dickinson isn’t the first Michigan player to advocate for NCAA reforms. Forward Isaiah Livers participated in the “notNCAAproperty” hashtag campaign during the 2021 NCAA Tournament, and football coach Jim Harbaugh has said he supports sharing TV revenue with players. – Meek
Required reading
(Photo: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty Images)
