Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence call for College Football Players Association
Title pretty much says it all, Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence, and a group of other P5 players are calling for a player's union in an effort to have a season this year. I'm not sure if they have any shot at all of effecting the conference commissioner's decisions this year, but I give them credit for trying to do so. I think 2020 is the year everything starts changing.
August 10th, 2020 at 8:40 AM ^
Can’t the university still close all facilities and tell coaches they’re not allowed to coach?
it’s great they’re so passionate about this and want to make something work, probably even more than the rest off is. I just don’t see this going very far.
August 10th, 2020 at 8:43 AM ^
I agree... I don't think they're going to have much of an effect on this season... but they're laying the groundwork for some major reform down the road. And if I'm reading it correctly, they really don't have any of the silly demands the PAC12 players had in they're post from last week. This seems like a much more reasonable stance to take to ensure some basic player rights from the NCAA and the conferences.
August 10th, 2020 at 11:42 AM ^
In any negotiation. you have to include a few things you're willing to give on, if not just to give the other side a victory to celebrate
August 10th, 2020 at 11:23 AM ^
What do they want? Collective bargaining with bagmen?
August 10th, 2020 at 8:41 AM ^
genuinely can't understand why the Big Ten would release the schedule when it is very likely there will be no season or the season will be moved????
August 10th, 2020 at 8:46 AM ^
I’ve been saying this since the schedule came out. It sounds crazy but follow the PAC-12, don’t plan to start the season until the end of September. Sure it’ll probably still get cancelled but why keep making hasty decisions? I never understood the rush to start the season on Sept 5.
August 10th, 2020 at 8:50 AM ^
The schedule was developed in a way that things can be pushed back.
August 10th, 2020 at 11:01 AM ^
A 10-11 game schedule felt too ambitious from the start. I thought that playing 8 games within the division, home-and-away, made the most sense. Start that up in mid to late October and you can still have your conference championship games in late December and play the bowl games or an expanded CFP a week later, just like they do in basketball.
August 10th, 2020 at 8:47 AM ^
Decisions aren't being made in a United fashion. The athletic directors and Big Ten officials made the schedule. The university presidents and lawyers are canceling. They each have differing interests.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:20 AM ^
It makes sense if the B1G is now relying entirely on ad revenue from their season schedule webpage. Gotta get those clicks!
August 10th, 2020 at 9:02 AM ^
NCAA: were leaning towards cancelling the season unless a miracle happens
players: were forming a union
NCAA: /hits cancel button
August 10th, 2020 at 9:20 AM ^
Wait I'm confused. Does the cancel button cancel the season, or does it cancel the plans to cancel the season? If the cancel button cancels the plans to cancel the season is there still a risk of further cancellation down the road?
August 10th, 2020 at 9:33 AM ^
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
August 10th, 2020 at 9:13 AM ^
in case the season is cancelled, i wonder if players can organize club teams to compete against each other, if the TV networks are willing to sponsor such events. Maybe a 16-20 biggest names of college football, a super conference indeed and to stay this way moving forward.
Essentially the biggest names of college Football and will play outside the NCAA umbrella, forming a super conference funded mostly by corporate sponsors
August 10th, 2020 at 9:57 AM ^
Where would they play?
Who would be their training staff? Where would they get insurance from?
Where do they get their equipment from?
The short answer is no. They cant form club teams and play and have anything resembling real football.
August 10th, 2020 at 12:18 PM ^
They velcro flages Use pvc for goal posts. And Fields can get that championship after all
August 10th, 2020 at 9:18 AM ^
This could be a significant development. To watch the Lawrence interview, you get the feeling that a lot of college football players didn't really think the season would be cancelled and are not just really coming to the realization that it might be and want to speak up before it is too late.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:20 AM ^
2020 isn't that terrible of a year.
If you want an example of a terrible year, try 1941.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:54 AM ^
1348 was pretty rough too, I’m told.
August 10th, 2020 at 10:04 AM ^
And don’t even get me started on 1034 BC... what a doozy.
August 10th, 2020 at 7:28 PM ^
And 1035, 1036, 1037... Things just weren't that great back then.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:20 AM ^
Counter-point RE: this season: the Marlins.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:24 AM ^
I dont see this helping the situation at all.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:30 AM ^
it's not going to help or hurt since we're not going to play this fall
college students can't / won't socially distance - see Rutgers
August 10th, 2020 at 9:27 AM ^
Gattis, Hunter Reynolds, and Shoop got in on the movement. Hopefully we will see more M participation today, maybe even from Jim.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:30 AM ^
Tin Foil Hat Time: The Graphic shared in their Twitter posts looks rather professionally put together. I'm wondering if they're working with the NCAA or the individual conferences to coordinate this in an effort to save the season. Showing that this is what the players want may give the Power 5 some PR cover.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:52 AM ^
Your average HS senior with even decent Photoshop skills can put something like that together in an hour. That tin foil hat might need to be tightened a bit more.
August 10th, 2020 at 11:55 AM ^
https://twitter.com/HobbsDesigns_/status/1292683700862251009?s=19
Apparently, the graphic was made by Dallas Hobbs. he's a college football player who's in graphic design.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:30 AM ^
Guys like Fields and Lawrence won't see a dime from this effort but still lent their important voices and faces to lead the cause. I'ts going to take acts like this for the movement to grow. Good for them.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:31 AM ^
So, the effort to have a season actually makes it LESS likely in my opinion. One of the reasons we can’t ask these kids to play is the mirage of amateurism. These kids want to essentially form a labor union. That doesn’t help!
If these kids were paid, there’s a lot more they could be asked to do in terms of risk. They aren’t, so this is where we are.
August 10th, 2020 at 7:30 PM ^
But we could also make them more low risk, by separating them from the general student body (emphasis on body) or putting them in a bubble.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:34 AM ^
They can sign with the XFL..... that'll show the NCAA commissioners who's boss!
CAN YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK is Cookin'?
August 10th, 2020 at 12:27 PM ^
you actually raise a good point re: XFL. If they can find a way to assert themselves as a legitimate league during all this, that would go a long way in making that a more attractive options for guys that are looking to get paid to play football - another chink in the armor for the rationalization of the NCAA. A few clunky moves that would get some players attention:
- reduce the eligible playing age to 19
- provide the players with the assurances they are looking for
- pay them (obviously)
- any player under the age of 21 can play on a maximum 2-year contract. At that point they can put their name into the NFL draft, or decide to re-sign with an XFL team
In this scenario the XFL operates as a G-League of sorts and forces the NCAA to expedite a model where players get compensated or have the option to join the XFL - thus enhancing the level of competition and qualify of the league and also providing a legitimate opportunity for players to continue pursuing their NFL aspirations. Major roadblock obviously being - how are they gonna pay for it.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:43 AM ^
Forming a players union is all fine and well, if they can do it, but how will they play if referees, statisticians, various other personnel, etc don't want to be a part of it. More than players are required to produce a sporting event, even w/o fans/spectators.
I would think there would need to be a higher price to "entice" those participants/workers, but that doesn't always work.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:50 AM ^
I mean...it's a players' union. You don't need to include everyone related to an industry in a single union. Also, there is already a referee union of sorts (NASO), and any other group listed there is well within their rights to seek a union. The NCAA has just made it exceedingly difficult for college athletes to do so has always been the issue.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:44 AM ^
I don't really like how this is framed. Headline makes it sound like it's the stars doing the organizing, when it's actually more of your average college athlete doing the work. Appreciate the high profile players lending their voice as they have more name recognition, but it's the "rank and file" that are really leading this effort and making it possible.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:45 AM ^
I think it's cool that there's a more concerted movement to get players protections and a voice. I'm a little annoyed that these guys are sorta trying to draft off the abuse the first group took, looking like a more "palpable" option when, in fact they're asking for most of the same things and would benefit just the same. But regardless, I'm glad to see there be more movement toward dismantling the NCAA racket they've got going.
August 10th, 2020 at 9:55 AM ^
Not what I expected to get a players union kickstarted. You'd think it would've been wanting to be paid or wanting additional safety protections. Apparently it's wanting to play over some safety precautions that's galvanizing this? It's odd
August 10th, 2020 at 10:19 AM ^
That's not what I read in the ESPN article. Granted, it was short and ill-sourced (as with all 'journalism', it seems), but it did say they want a season with common safety precautions across the sport. We don't have that today - conferences, and even individual schools within conferences, are implementing differing procedures and requirements.
Michigan players haven't had to sign a waiver of liability (that I know of), whereas OSU players have had to. Why should such a waiver be different across schools? Why should a waiver be needed?
August 10th, 2020 at 10:15 AM ^
I love that this stuff just keeps happening! First, the NCAA abdicated it's 'leadership' position by not even trying to mandate a level playing field of C-19 based procedures across all schools. Player's parents (led by Mr/Mrs Hinton) tried to fix that, and it went nowhere with little fanfare. Next, the PAC-12 group got torched for requesting things that 'normal' worker unions take for granted. The fanfare died off in a few days. The B1G players group got some notice to keep the PAC-12 flame for another day, or two. Now this effort is getting some praise, and it might last for a few days, depending on when the official 'season-off' call is made.
The overall view is that players are recognizing that the hodge-podge of conference efforts, along with the lack of a clear procedure for C-19 safety across the entire landscape, has resulted in virtually no player safeguards and a very uneven playing surface. They want to play, and are making it noticeable that they want a level playing field. They are also beginning to recognize their ability to force change pertaining to pay and insurance.
Good for the players! Yeah, this effort may fail PR-wise (like the others largely have), but it will keep driving players forward toward change.
August 10th, 2020 at 10:40 AM ^
Wonder if Fields wishes he stuck it out at Georgia now.
August 10th, 2020 at 11:24 AM ^
SEC is going to play
August 10th, 2020 at 12:02 PM ^
Understandable. OSU and SEC players taking huge paycuts. Can’t sign up for unemployment checks as it’s all under the table.