Even the consumer advocate and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader, a relative newcomer to the debate over paying college athletes, was able to use the media frenzy around March Madness to launch his own proposal to eliminate athletic scholarships altogether. The tepid to hostile reaction his proposal brought in many circles, including at the NCAA, … Read more
Much to my surprise the NCAA, under the leadership of President Mark Emmert, has recently enacted financial aid reforms that I have supported for many years. Critics have argued that the changes amount to little more than “window dressing,” but a strong case can be made that the revival of multi-year scholarships makes athletes students … Read more
The Drake Group urges Congress and the general public to understand the need for comprehensive federal reform legislation that goes beyond the current singular focus on college athlete name, image, and likeness rights or a slight nod to athlete health and protection. There is a clear need for an independent Congressional Commission that examines the … Read more
In light of the scandal at Penn State, which reveals how big-time college sports often overwhelm the core values of higher education, Congress should closely examine whether the NCAA is running a not-for-profit enterprise or a commercial entertainment empire. Follow this link to read the Christian Science Monitor article
I have always believed that colleges and universities that treat athletes like employees should have to pay them and provide other employment benefits. Under common law, an employee is a person who performs services for another under a contract of hire, subject to the Follow this link to read the US News and World Report … Read more
Big-time college football has changed significantly since I played decades ago. Millions of dollars rain down from ticket sales, luxury suites, media rights, corporate sponsorships, and sales of licensed apparel. Conferences are realigned to penetrate new target markets. These changes, however, raise serious questions about the future of sport in higher education. Follow this link … Read more
By Gerald S. Gurney and B. David Ridpath FEBRUARY 29, 2016 – Chronicle of Higher Education Gerry Gurney, Drake Group President and David Ridpath, Drake Group President-Elect teamed up to comment on the renewal of the employment agreement of the NCAA President and how this action signaled no change in the direction of the NCAA. … Read more
I have always believed that colleges and universities that treat athletes like employees should have to pay them and provide other employment benefits. Under common law, an employee is a person who performs services for another under a contract of hire, subject to the other’s control in return for payment. The unionization movement at Northwestern … Read more
It is hard to see the forest for the trees in college sports these days. Antitrust lawsuits and the debate over whether college athletes should be compensated as employees have obscured that fact that only a small group of highly commercialized athletic programs are controlling the NCAA. Follow this link to read the Chronicle of … Read more
The plantation analogy is hyperbolic, but universities at the most athletically competitive levels are routinely admitting athletes, some of whom can barely read or write, and subjecting them to physical and psychological demands that deny them the education necessary for upward mobility in a society that is becoming increasingly stratified. Follow this link to read … Read more