Now more than ever, student-athletes need unions

On Aug. 11, the Pac-12 made the decision to cancel its fall football season. Although this was likely the safest choice considering the continued spread of the coronavirus across the United States, it speaks to the lack of input that student-athletes have in NCAA sports.

Both the Pac-12 and the Big Ten (the other Power Five conference to cancel its football season) had brought their players back to member schools’ campuses for summer workouts and had even released 10-game conference schedules set to begin in mid-September.

Though the Pac-12 conference released its altered football schedule July 31, it backtracked and suddenly canceled the season Aug. 11. There was no drastic change in the country’s health situation within that period, rendering the timing of the decision dubious.

Rather, the relevant change came Aug. 2, when Pac-12 players organized the #WeAreUnited movement. It was created to ensure the conference would protect players’ health throughout the season, as up until that point it had failed to create and implement a comprehensive coronavirus safety plan.

Although the movement was focused on securing adequate health and safety protections, it also made requests for social justice measures which would be partially funded by 2% of the conference’s annual revenue. Furthermore, players demanded that 50% of each sport’s conference revenue be divided among the athletes and the ability to profit off their likeness.

If these requests were left unmet, some players were prepared to boycott the season. Rather than attempt to work with the players to at least meet some of their demands, the Pac-12 pulled the plug on its season. The decision was made without any input from or consultation with the players, who are the ones putting themselves at risk. Only a mere basic respect for athletes’ rights is required to believe they should have an input in the decision.

The conference was happy to overextend its players by having them practice throughout the summer for a season that was poorly planned. While the players were working hard, conference officials did little to prepare for a football season in the coronavirus era. It is a testament to the reality that the conference and member schools simply wanted the players ready to produce revenue in case a season could go on and were never legitimately committed to working on shaping a safe and equitable season for their players. For reference, USC Football brought in $50 million of revenue last season. 

This is yet another instance of NCAA athletes being taken advantage of for their earning ability while having no voice in the matter whatsoever — not to mention a complete lack of compensation. In recent years support behind college athletes making money has grown substantially, making this most recent case of negligence by the NCAA especially troubling.

When it looked like this season in particular may have required some form of association or union among the players, the conference shied away and opted to cancel the season. If there were a players’ union in place, it would have likely encouraged negotiations that could potentially lead to a safe, thorough and robust plan to salvage the season and many of these players’ chances at professional careers.

In order to have bargaining power in the future, collegiate athletes in profitable sports must be permitted to form unions which would entail them first becoming employees of their respective schools. Thus, unionizing will end the amateur status of college athletes, which is precisely what the NCAA and universities with large, highly profitable athletic departments do not want. Unionization will give these athletes the ability to negotiate with their universities for rights and privileges as well as profit from their work and play.

Student-athletes put their time and bodies on the line for their institutions, and it is time they are fairly represented and rewarded for their efforts.