# College Athletes Can Unionize **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 26, 2014, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628 "2014-03-26T20:04:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/41 "2014-03-27T20:45:33Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > Business entities can’t collude to fix wages and then wave a “take it or leave it” banner that makes everything ok. Wage fixing is illegal and done on the widespread level that it is in Division 1 sports is unconscionable. We really should expect better from our institutions of higher learning. I know that’s naive but we really should expect them to act like good citizens. They’re the incubators of our next generations of leaders. Yet another reason they need to apply consistent admission standards! If a football player is illiterate after 12th grade, go play in a minor league until the NFL allows you to be drafted. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/42 "2014-03-27T20:46:36Z")
Could you point to that minor league? ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/43 "2014-03-27T20:46:47Z")
**nerd** -As long as the university name is NOT used for the teams, I’d have zero problem with that! ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/44 "2014-03-27T20:47:52Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > Could you point to that minor league? The CFL, Arena League, UFL. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/45 "2014-03-27T20:50:23Z")
Those leagues aren’t pipelines to the NFL. They’re where players go when they’re no longer eligible for NCAA play but couldn’t cut it in the NFL. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/46 "2014-03-27T20:52:22Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > Those leagues aren’t pipelines to the NFL. They’re where players go when they’re no longer eligible for NCAA play but couldn’t cut it in the NFL. They’re still making more than they would flipping burgers. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/47 "2014-03-27T20:53:41Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > **nerd** -As long as the university name is NOT used for the teams, I’d have zero problem with that! Of course they’d use the university name - the point is to establish continuity between the system as it is and the new system. There’d have to be some kind of licensing agreement between the team and the school, but the names are what the fans are going to follow. Try it without the university names and it’s dead in the water. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/48 "2014-03-27T20:58:47Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > In what world is making a living a privilige? Now, not everyone can have their desired job, but we all have the right to not live on the streets. Aye, but only in the same way you have the right to buy enough gold bricks to build a house out of them. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/49 "2014-03-27T21:00:57Z")
Just scrap the employers’ NCAA no-play-for-pay rule and see what shakes out on an open market. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/50 "2014-03-27T21:08:56Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > Of course they’d use the university name - the point is to establish continuity between the system as it is and the new system. There’d have to be some kind of licensing agreement between the team and the school, but the names are what the fans are going to follow. Try it without the university names and it’s dead in the water. So I guess we’re whoring out higher education? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/51 "2014-03-27T21:10:03Z")
Do you really think the NCAA isn’t a pimp? ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/52 "2014-03-27T21:10:10Z")
**Bo** -I agree people have a right to living wage. The majority of the athletes we’re talking about will end up with a wage for about 50 lifetimes. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/53 "2014-03-27T21:11:11Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > Do you really think the NCAA isn’t a pimp? They’re SUPPOSED to be the governing body of college sports! But they allowed themselves to be bullied around by college presidents, and now THEY run the show. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/54 "2014-03-27T21:12:06Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > 1. There’s nothing that states that the specific mission of the University that provide(s) recreational and extra-curricular activities" cannot be modified, or even removed. Oooh, a college that doesn’t provide any sort of activities or teams or sports or clubs - yeah, that’ll just rake in the students. That isn’t a valid response for a college to take in order to avoid paying their athletes. > [@](#): > > 1. Your value in the draft is based upon a number of factors, not the least of which was how you performed in college. Well gosh, it’s almost as if the college is providing something of value to its football players aside from the opportunity to receive a quality education! Imagine that - and they say they want to get paid on top of it? Well I’ll be… ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/55 "2014-03-27T21:16:06Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > **Munch** -Most people on say, the debate team, or school newspaper will actually have to be qualified to get a job once they leave. And the job they DO receive won’t allow their grandchildren to be set for life. So YOU need to at least make the effort to make an apples-to-apples comparison! Again, more nonsense. You made the statement that participation in extracurriculars required students to be academically eligible. Back it up, or retract it. Or maybe post a complete thought once in a while. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/56 "2014-03-27T21:16:06Z")
Munch-If they want to get paid, GET A JOB!! ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/57 "2014-03-27T21:17:25Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Munch-If they want to get paid, GET A JOB!! And yet here we are, in a thread about a ruling that claims playing college athletics IS a job. Do try to keep up. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/58 "2014-03-27T21:21:42Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > **Bo** -I agree people have a right to living wage. The majority of the athletes we’re talking about will end up with a wage for about 50 lifetimes. How many college athletes do you know? 😕 The vast, vast, vast majority do not end up with 50x living wage. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/59 "2014-03-27T21:24:22Z")
I believe the NCAA places some pretty serious restrictions on jobs that can be held by student athletes. No doubt this is to prevent a booster from giving the star player a cushy summer job for $40k but it does prevent legitimate work. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628/60 "2014-03-27T21:24:33Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > What is the difference between Division I Football and the various professional sports leagues such as the NFL, NBA, MLB and HNL? High level play? Huge fan base? Huge profits? The primary difference is that the employers via the NCAA have colluded to prevent college football players from being paid at market value. I agree, although i would add that the draft system used by major pro sports like baseball and football, along with other mechanisms like salary caps, arbitration, and set periods before free agency all mean that many pro players are not paid at market value either. Mike Trout will get $1,000,000 from the Angels this year. If he were being paid at market value, he’d get at least twenty times that. I’m not crying for him or anything, but pro sports have also engaged in plenty of collusion and violation of free market principles, not least in their constant clamoring for public money to fund their massive, profit-generating stadiums. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-athletes-can-unionize/684628.md?page=4)