Union in the MAC?

by Eric Pfahler
For The Post

College athletes are working toward gaining more rights once again with the formation of the Collegiate Athletes Coalition.

The CAC began its first chapter at UCLA and is hoping to draw six to eight big schools into the organization by the end of this summer.

The group has four major points in its platform. The coalition wants guaranteed health coverage, better life insurance, and elimination of all caps on athletes' earnings during the academic year. The current cap is $2,000 a year.

The coalition also wants better stipends with grants that would cover all attendance costs, including transportation and entertainment expenses. Some athletes currently receive grants for room, board and tuition.

Ohio Director of Athletics Thomas Boeh said college athletes overestimate the amount of money that actually comes into collegiate programs and are misguided about what happens with that money.

"No one personally profits from these players," Boeh said. "The money ... goes back into other athletes."

Ohio football program revenue first goes to pay for scholarships and other costs, such as transportation. The surplus produced by the team is given to other Ohio athletics programs that are unable to draw enough revenue to be self-supportive.

There is also the question of how professional the players hope to become.

John Burns, Ohio University director of legal affairs, said there is a question about how to define a student-athlete.

"How can the NCAA react to legitimate concerns without losing the idea of amateurism?" he said.

Some Ohio athletes feel that developing a union-like group is too much, but that the NCAA needs to give athletes a little more.

"It's supposed to be all about the love for the sport," former Ohio football player Raynald Ray said. "Forming a union seems like something you would see at the professional level."

Ray, however, suggested that some of the bigger universities such as Florida State and Nebraska make a great deal money from college students. He said when schools sell jerseys they are selling the player, not just the number.

There are concerns that if college athletes are treated more like professionals, the universities might demand a lot more from their players and be more likely to withdraw scholarships from athletes who do not produce.

"We don't just kick them out the door," Boeh said, referring to athletes who fail to meet university expectations.

College athletes already have a legitimate, non-voting voice in the NCAA the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. The group was instrumental in increasing the amount athletes can make during an academic year to $2,000.

"Those kids are not just mouthpieces for the institution," Boeh said. "They speak their mind, and we're proud of that."