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Northwestern University Football Team Tries Joining Union . . .

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For the first time in the history of college sports, athletes are asking to be represented by a labor union . . .

Outside The Lines -- Northwestern Wildcats football players trying to join labor union - ESPN
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Be careful what you ask for...with Title IX and the issues of having to pay EVERYONE, don't think you will get away with just paying the revenue sports, could end up schools fielding one or two sports and that's it.
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I couldn't be more against paying college athletes.

If there is money to be made, just like baseball and hockey…have investors start a minor league.  They can take the $500 per week instead of going to college if they choose.

Teambeer is the most knowledgeable FAU sports fan I know, way smarter than me.
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Despite what the athletes think...college athletics is NOT to prepare them for the NFL or NBA, it's to allow them to get an education.  Whether they allow themselves to be taken advantage of and not pursue a real degree that is on them.  A lot is given to the athletes, scholarships, clothing, board, tutoring, trips, etc. or to put it another way compensation.  None that I received while in college...no one says you have to accept the terms of an athletic scholarship; it is NOT indentured servitude as they are tying to make it sound.

I worked full time while in college, and I had no extra money to live either, like many other college students.
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Maybe they should continue to live on campus to take advantage of the free room and board and NOT pay rent, utilities, food, gas....
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If they keep pushing this Collegiate Athletics may be killed off by greed (AD's, Coaches, players, school administrations) very soon.
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Tim FAU98..... So true !
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I think its hilarious that the students are making this stand….more amazing the people defending thier cause.

The fundamental issue people so convienently forget or ignore is these programs were founded by donors, donors that GAVE money with no expecation or hope to recieve a return on thier investment.  These donations were made with the expectation of ameaturism.  Before a single penny was given to the players they would have to go back and pay ROI to the investors that made any of this possible.

People want college football to be the real world and free market, name me a business that exists where donors and not investors are what started and maintained the business with no expectatioin of ROI while the "employees" were paid.

Furthermore, if practice and working out is considered "work" and due to that you are an employee…well then I want to sue the school district I attended middle school and high school in because they broke and are still breaking child labor laws.

Also, my high school sells 20K+ tickets per game along with advertising dollars and merchandise.  So if the principle of "well college football is profiting so it has to give money to the players" holds true…do we start paying the players at my high school?  If not…why?  There are high school players over 18 years old and college players under 18 so the age argument doesn't hold.

In addition, the profit is there (not mentioning the donors) because the popularity of football and basketball has risen dramatically.  The University of Michigan has had football for over 100 years…long before it was ever a profitable program.  The reason these programs were started was not for profit but as part of a University to create well rounded individuals.

For that very reason University's today still have numerous athletic programs that do not yeild a profit, but a loss.  They sustain the cost of womens basketball, soccer, golf, etc.  If those sports ever become profitable well then the University's should reap the benefits as they maintained the programs when they weren't profitable.  If next year FAU women's bball suddenly started selling out and selling apparel it would be moronic if they demanded to be paid because the University was making a profit on the program it and the donors created and maintained.

Lastly, the onE thing that is not debatable in my opinion is the notion that ameaturism and the current platform is what makes college football so in demand and profitable in the first place.  Now, some will say well its in demand and profitable because football is in demand period.  I say not a chance.  The reason a minor league does not exist today is because investors have tried to start various leagues in the past and they have failed.  They have failed because simply watching 18-22 year olds play football is not in itself in demand.  Nobody would go watch the minor league Toledo Hawks or the Orlando Spitfire or whatever stupid names they would have.  People definetly woudln't donate money to keep them running when they weren't making a profit.

Most of these college football crowds are made up of students/alumni.  Personally I would never go to another game nor donate another dollar if the players at FAU were paid.  Because of poor leadership these kids have forgotten they have the opportunity to earn a degree in which they can educate themselves into a sustainable future.  They have forgotten that while they earn that degree and make all sorts of connections while playing they get to play in state of the art stadiums, train in state of the art facilities, coached by the best of the best, tutored nightly, live in state of the art dorms etc.  The tragedy here is not that are not being paid while practicing football, its that the leaders they look up to have made it seem like a college degree means nothing.  Average NFL career is 3.2 years, look at all the kids coming out after thier Junior year…sad.

Teambeer is the most knowledgeable FAU sports fan I know, way smarter than me.
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A degree at Northwestern nonetheless! Take your fancy degree and practically guaranteed employability for the rest of your damn life and like it!
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Yup, a quarter of a MILLION $$$ education and they want more…..Maybe if the whole system blows up they will HAVE TO reorganize the entire syste,m and ENSURE a level playing field for ALL schools!

NAH….NEVER HAPPEN, in America it is just the rich get richer.
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