Protect College Sports Act Fuels Athlete Labor Debate

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From Outspoken With Dan Sileo

Protect College Sports Act Raises Questions About Player Representation and Conference Power

The Protect College Sports Act has received support from the president, Nick Saban and television networks. Critics argue that network promotion of the bill serves as a vehicle to preserve the existing system and control what players can earn.

While college sports need guardrails, the concern is that ESPN and Fox benefit most from maintaining the system in its old form. The underlying problems will remain unresolved as long as one side can arbitrarily decide what players are allowed to make.

A lasting resolution may require collective bargaining. Although the debate over whether college athletes are employees or student-athletes remains contentious, the larger question is how to organize player representation. A players union or association could be established by conference or division, but neither option offers an obvious answer, particularly for players at independent programs.

Moving away from conferences could also affect smaller sports and other athletic programs. Joe Echevarria, the president of Miami, recently implied in an interview with Yahoo Sports that independence might be better for Miami’s football program.

If Miami football became independent, the basketball program could rejoin the Big East and compete alongside programs such as Villanova. Notre Dame could potentially take a similar approach, while North Carolina might also consider the idea. That type of realignment could be where college sports are headed with the playoffs.