how can they possibly use the money to pay women's sports
by jt (2024-04-19 13:19:31)
Edited on 2024-04-19 13:26:46

In reply to: Interesting article, but again no details whatsoever.  posted by VaDblDmr

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without permission from the revenue generating sports? What sort of benefit do the athletes in the revenue generating sports get from that? Kessler is pretty much there, but the strain in getting to title 9 is a bridge too far. Why is it the football team's problem to make sure that the University is in compliance with title 9?

This is where this all falls apart, IMO. The way the system is and the way it's moving (witness ND's new plans for a 100 million palace for their football program) it is clear that this is not some sort of extra curricular activity but rather a professional sports enterprise. The solution is clear--the athletes need to be deemed employees at this level of football and there needs to be collective bargaining.

edit to add: I agree with the concept of separating out the top 70 or so schools and treating them differently. The idea of "opting in" to a more formal method of payment is interesting and a good start. However, the title 9 stuff is bullshit and another continued red herring. They're not so worried about women's sports when they're out there negotiating these media deals.

I love this part, especially as it pertains to recent ND related discussions:

But over the years, fueled by multi-million dollar television contracts, athletic departments at the highest level became flush with cash. Unable to directly compensate athletes and situated in a competitive environment, departments pumped the excess cash into gaudy facility projects and million-dollar coaching and administrative salaries in an effort to compete with their rivals on the recruiting trail.

This resulted in schools reporting a loss or break-even figure in their annual financial documents. Their argument against an employment or revenue sharing model is simple: If profits are shared with athletes — women athletes, too, as required by Title IX — how then are the other sports funded?

“If you are paying your athletic director $3.5 million because you have the money and you [report] that you have a $100,000 loss, you’re making money!” Kessler bellowed

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