NCAA Legal Thread

[GoBearcats31]

@PeteThamel
Sources: The Big 12 presidents and chancellors have unanimously voted to settle the looming anti-trust cases, including House v NCAA. They have bee[n] briefed in recent days on the settlement’s 13-page term sheet. The Big 12 is the first of six named parties to vote this week.

[Lobot]

NCAA looks like they are about to settle the House case for multi-billions. The Big East is big mad because they don't think they got treated farily as a non power conference in football. A little ironic since they're considered one in basketball and they opted to keep the conference name and from when it was a power conference in football. I'm thinking had they not hoovered up the name for brand recoginition reasons, they'd be considered a separate business entity from the Big East that had BCS football when UC was in it. Maybe they'd be paying less in that case.

https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaas-settl...194238228.html

[Lobot]

They might about to settle the House case. I haven't digested all this yet but here you go. A 2.7 Billion settlement seems like a lot even for the NCAA.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/...t-case-vs-ncaa

https://sports.yahoo.com/what-would-...124301018.html

[Lobot]

I have a new one to tack on to this thread.

4 US Senators have signed a letter asking Homeland Security to clear up the mess between student visas and work requirements for foreign athletes. Making changes here would allow foreiregn athletes to earn NIL. I think this was prompted by Zach Edey's inability to earn NIL because he's Canadian. Victor Lakhin would have also benefitted if this were already in effect.

Here's the text , I left off the signatures but it's Senators Blumenthal, Murphy, Capito and Ricketts.



Dear Secretary Mayorkas,

We write to request information about the status of the Department of Homeland
Security’s (DHS) commitments to provide legal clarity for international students participating in
collegiate athletics.

Since July 2021, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has maintained a
policy to allow college athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness (NIL), bringing the
NCAA into line with laws passed by dozens of states and federal court rulings. These changes
recognized that past policies limiting students’ economic rights were unnecessary and unfair —
hindering students from benefiting from their hard work.

While many students have rightfully benefitted from these new opportunities,
international college athletes and college athletic programs face a credible risk that even the most
basic NIL deal could violate the work restrictions of the F-1 visa. DHS could clarify that the F-1
visa program does not prevent a student from engaging in NIL related activities, securing college
athletes’ economic opportunities and easing concerns that students and schools might run afoul
of the law. Unfortunately, the tens of thousands of international students competing in NCAA
competitions have been deprived of these economic opportunities because of a lack of guidance
on, or changes to, the conditions of their student visas by DHS.

Last year, in Senate oversight hearings and in response to a previous letter requesting
guidance and rulemaking, you committed to moving as quickly as you can on providing these
important protections for foreign college athletes. Unfortunately, despite that commitment to
move quickly, DHS still has not updated its rules a year later. As a result, international students
have gone another year without legal protections or clarity, leading star athletes to turn down
opportunities, go through extreme hoops to stay in good standing with their visas, or consider
leaving school.

We request a written update on what steps DHS has taken to follow through on your
commitment to protect those international college athletes and schools that seek to benefit from
the blood, sweat, and tears they put into their sport.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

[bearcatbret]

Revenue sharing with the "student-athlete". I wonder if this only applies only to the SEC and B1G and if it only applies to football and basketball players. The Olympic sports lose money so there is not revenue for those sports. The Group of 5 lose money so how can they share revenue? One article references the Power 5. SEC, Big Ten developing plan to share revenue with players in potential landmark change to college athletics (msn.com)

[Lobot]

That is going to upset a whole lot of tenured professors when the "student-athletes" are making more than they do. I wonder if they are employees, will they be required to sign a contract that includes a buy-out clause much like for coaches?

I think the contract thing is most definitely in play, complete with behavior clauses and incentives etc. Fortunately for players, the FTC ruled non complete clauses illegal today.

[bearcatbret]

I like the emphasis on no pay-4-play NIL deals. ALthough, if we go to employee status for athletes...it's all out the window.

That is going to upset a whole lot of tenured professors when the "student-athletes" are making more than they do. I wonder if they are employees, will they be required to sign a contract that includes a buy-out clause much like for coaches?

[red_n_black_attack]

I like the emphasis on no pay-4-play NIL deals. ALthough, if we go to employee status for athletes...it's all out the window.

[longtimefan]

This got ratified by the whole NCAA today. Let's see if it stands up to the inevitable legal challenge

This could be the last straw. Could courts rule that the academic standards are illegal? Could the court rule players are employees, with no requirement to attend class at all, or even be students?

[Lobot]

The NCAA has a new angle today which might kill off a couple of court cases for the NCAA. The D1 NCAA Rules committee recommended that the injuction put in place from Dave Yost's case regarding multi-time transfers will remain in place.

Players will be allowed to transfer freely to another school provided they are in good academic standing at the current school and making progress toward their degree when enrolling in a new school.

The full NCAA membership will vote on this on 4/22

This got ratified by the whole NCAA today. Let's see if it stands up to the inevitable legal challenge

[Lobot]

The NCAA has a new angle today which might kill off a couple of court cases for the NCAA. The D1 NCAA Rules committee recommended that the injuction put in place from Dave Yost's case regarding multi-time transfers will remain in place.

Players will be allowed to transfer freely to another school provided they are in good academic standing at the current school and making progress toward their degree when enrolling in a new school.

The full NCAA membership will vote on this on 4/22

[Lobot]

Little update on stuff coming down the pike ($)

https://theathletic.com/5406854/2024...ers-employees/

[Lobot]

Here's a primer on the whole Dartmouth union thing for those who want it. ($)

https://theathletic.com/5319403/2024...ion-explained/

Get your popcorn ready! Dartmouth is appealing to the full NLRB and intentionally refusing to negotiate with the playesr union. Lawsuits incoming for Dartmouth.

https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/s...17462294344031

[GoBearcats31]

Gambling Watchdog Alerts Unusual Wagering Activity on Temple Men’s Basketball Game

https://www.si.com/college/2024/03/0...sketball-games

Gambling watchdog company U.S. Integrity sent out an alert to casinos Thursday regarding unusual wagering activity on the UAB Blazers-Temple Owls men’s basketball game, the American Athletic Conference confirms to Sports Illustrated.

“We are aware they flagged it,” AAC men’s basketball director of communications Tom Fenstermaker says.

The betting line moved significantly during the day Thursday leading up to the game. At one casino, the line moved from UAB as a 1.5-point favorite over Temple at the beginning of the day to UAB as an eight-point favorite by mid-afternoon, then settling at seven closer to tip-off. The Blazers routed the Owls, 100–72, in Temple’s home gym, the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia.

[red_n_black_attack]

A couple of throw the pebble in the pond and watch the ripples comments on how bad this could go:

1. There is no limit on the number of employees a school could hire to fill out a team. I can envision the school in central ohio hiring 200 football players
2. If they are paid, no need to truly offer a scholarship;
   1. Hense they could sign players to employment contracts in 8th grade and not wait for signing day.
   2. If no scholarships for football, then they could bypass Title 9. Say goodbye to a plethora of Olympic or non-revenue generating women's teams
3. One potential benefit is less players in the transfer portal. Why sign recruits to one year employment contracts? I can see 3 year minimums written into the contract, or a guaranteed 3 year deal, with school option fir years 4 and 5

Be careful what you wish for in case you actually get it.