The Rest of College Football

[Tony G]

Has anyone else thought of the flaw in the union gambit? Membership turns over completely every four years, a quarter every year. The desired outcome of a collective bargaining is to gain a contract. How will it be negotiated? If NW refuses to come to terms with the "pro" student athletes, do they sit the team for a year? Would 25% of a team vote for a union when doing so will assure they won't get their last year on the field? Will lack of football money really hurt NW? Would the rest of the B1G give NW their share even if they don't play, just to shut down the union?

[Hannibal]

Has anyone else thought of the flaw in the union gambit? Membership turns over completely every four years, a quarter every year. The desired outcome of a collective bargaining is to gain a contract. How will it be negotiated? If NW refuses to come to terms with the "pro" student athletes, do they sit the team for a year? Would 25% of a team vote for a union when doing so will assure they won't get their last year on the field? Will lack of football money really hurt NW? Would the rest of the B1G give NW their share even if they don't play, just to shut down the union?

the flaw? You say that as if there is only one.

The possible outcomes of this range from "inconsequential" to "catastrophe". "Good" does not enter into the equation. About half of mgoblog is pumping their fists in the air cheering this on enthusiastically. These people have no clue -- I mean absolutely no clue -- what this means. Brian Cook, especially, just hates the NCAA passionately and believes that anything that harms the NCAA is awesome, regardless of the unintended consequences.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I don't know...I've sort of reached the point where I dislike the NCAA enough and am disgusted by how much money the coaches and guys like Gene Smith make that I'm ready to see the entire system blown up. No college sports? My life will go on.

[The Oracle]

I'm anti both sides. How is that possible?

[Tony G]

I'm there too. I saw the NW players want concussion testing, medical care for football injuries, 4 year scholarships and perhaps pay. I'm totally behind the first three and am up in the air on pay.

[The Oracle]

I just see no way no how that you can pay them all fairly. Everyone will have a legit bitch if they're not. So unless a swimmer makes as much as a QB, I don't see how they can do it.

[WM Wolverine]

Agree, you run into Title IX issues with any pay. Everything has to be equal even though football and basketball is what drives 90% of the revenue.

[hack]

Whatever comes of it, clearly the time has arrived in which the basic assumptions need to be revisited.

[lineygoblue]

No college athlete is going to be collecting a check from any university any time soon. Northwestern has gaggles of attorneys who are working up the appeals that will tie this thing up for a decade or more.

[UMStan White]

I LOVE the smell of litigation in the morning!

[lineygoblue]

I know you do, .. you rascal .. :-)

[Dr. Strangelove]

Northwestern, the same University that claims it would go broke if it had to give additional stipends to athletes, just announced they are building a brand new indoor football practice facility.

The cost? $220 Million.

[hack]

LOL. That's the thing these days -- is there anyone out there with a voice loud enough and lasting enough to call you on your bad spin? I don't know that there is anymore.

[lineygoblue]

I'm wondering where they are going to put it. The whole campus is surrounded by houses. Are they having the city of Evanston condemn a block of houses so they can build a fancy football building?

[WM Wolverine]

That's why the cost is so much, it's going to basically be lake property.