Context:

• An antitrust exemption is a legal exception that allows certain activities to be exempt from federal antitrust laws. Antitrust laws are designed to protect trade and commerce from monopolies, unfair business practices, and unlawful restraints.
• Players associations amplify athletes’ voices and provide a unified front for negotiating critical issues like compensation and safety.
• The NFL and NFLPA agreed to a deal through 2030 that added a 17th regular season game, with players and owners negotiating its terms and ensuring players receive additional compensation.
• The NBA and NBPA agreed to a deal through 2030 that introduced an In-Season Tournament (NBA Cup), with players and owners negotiating its terms and ensuring players receive additional compensation.
• Schools, conferences, or the NCAA make decisions without athlete representation, prioritizing institutional interests.
• The NCAA, universities, and conferences are spending millions of dollars lobbying Congress to gain an antitrust exemption through federal legislation, making it legally viable for them to set and maintain their own rules and limit athlete rights and compensation without athletes' input.

Context:

• Football generates the majority of athletic department revenue at P4 schools.
• A league like the NFL offers former players 5 years of Extended Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug, and Work/Life Resources coverage for a player and his dependents who plays three accredited seasons.
• NFL Player's minimum salary is $795,000.

Context:

• Many coaches receive bonuses for their team's 'Academic Progress Rate.’
• Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin received an additional $150,000 bonus in June 2024 after his team recorded a single-year Academic Progress Rate score of 993.
• Many P4 football coaches and ADs revised their contracts upon the expansion of the CFP playoff to earn bonuses upon their teams making the playoff field and advancing.
• Notre Dame just pocketed $20 million for making the national title game.
• Ryan Day and his coaching staff have already received $721,250 in combined bonuses following the Buckeyes’ win over Texas (Day's guaranteed bonus is $500,000 so far; it will increase to $1 million if Ohio State wins the national championship).
• Escalators exist for exceptional player performance in the NFL. In 2022-23, NFL players during the 2022-2023 players on playoff teams earned $46,500 for winning a wild-card game and $41,500 for losing one. The divisional round earns $46,500 and $69,000 for the conference championship game. Players on a Super Bowl winner receive $157,000 each; the losing team walks away with $82,000 each.

Context:

• The NFL operates an 17-game regular season schedule with a 53-man roster + a practice squad.
• As part of the House settlement, increases to roster limits have been proposed for almost every sport on college campuses.
• Because more scholarships are available, some have argued that the number of walk-ons will decrease.
• Some coaches and administrators have suggested that football scholarships should be fully maximized and funded, leaving less resources for scholarships and compensation to Olympic athletes.
• Increasing the football scholarship cap could benefit more athletes but reduce funds for direct player compensation.
• If you have 85 scholarships at $50,000 each, the total cost would be $4.25 million, leaving $5.75 million from $10 million in revenue for player compensation.
• If you increase to 105 scholarships at $50,000 each, the total cost would be $5.25 million, leaving $4.75 million from $10 million in revenue for player compensation.
• Adding 20 scholarships at this cost reduces the funds available for direct player compensation by $1 million.

Context:

• How would it work?
  • $1M (or a number TBD) of the revenue share pool would be allocated to players on the team for 2 years or more. The money would be distributed at the end of the season 30 days after the transfer portal window closes to the eligible players based on the amount of plays they played during the season.
  • Multiple goals:
    • Provides offseason bonus compensation.
    • Creates an incentive for staying at a school.
• Bonuses for veteran players can encourage continuity and team chemistry while reducing excessive transfers.
• Similar to professional leagues, revenue-sharing pools reward long-term commitment and high performance.

Context:

• This week, FBS coaches advocated for the NCAA to significantly cut down the transfer window, proposing the elimination of the December and April transfer portal windows in favor of a 10-day window from January 2-12, which would eliminate 20 days of transfer availability. Coaches advocated for this without consulting athletes.
• Transfer portal is the same as free agency at the pro level, allowing players to maximize the market and get to the best situation for themselves.
• Transfer portal changes were made without athlete input, limiting their ability to navigate the system.

Context:

• Extended healthcare coverage supports athletes dealing with long-term injuries from their playing days.
• Access to independent medical and mental health professionals ensures unbiased care and confidentiality.

Context:

• Adjustments to practice limits and game rules, like targeting penalties and kickoff plays, can reduce injury risks.

Context:

• Employee classification could provide salaries and benefits but may introduce tax and eligibility complexities.
• Educating athletes on the pros and cons of employment ensures informed decisions.

Context:

• For 2023, it was estimated that Madden sales were $1.0B…EA “guarantees” the nflpa $100M per year for player rights and rates range from 10-14% for athletes based on sales volume and sales thresholds.
• EA Sports received backlash in the media after their initial decision to give college athletes $500 for their appearance in College Football 25. Following the backlash, they arbitrarily increased the payment by $100 and included a copy of the game - without negotiating with athletes.