NCAA Football 14 News Post

College Athletes Are More Than a Number, Why We Need to Understand That

12:14 PM - April 15, 2013 by RaychelSnr

Our friend and Press Row Podcast member Owen Good posted a great article over the weekend harping on EA's stunning admission of guilt of using real players in their NCAA game:

Quote:


	"So I had to laugh when, in response to Ed O'Bannon's notorious lawsuit against the NCAA, Electronic Arts this week filed an "expert study" saying that fewer than 25 percent of football and men's basketball players are identifiable in video games they have published. That's bull****, and it has been from day one. Electronic Arts' own communications with the College Licensing Company admit that the games are coded and balanced with real-life rosters, and real life players on them. The "study" is not scientific, it is testimony in a civil action, which is to say it is necessarily self-serving. It was entered into the record to limit the size of the potential class action against EA and the NCAA, and/or the scope of the damages�or settlement�the publisher would pay if the players prevail."

The decision on class-action in this case will be made in June -- which will be followed by what is almost certainly going to be a lengthy court process, one which will possibly go all the way to the Supreme Court. We could still be several years to a resolution.

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Member Comments

# 1 Gramps91 @ 04/15/13 12:50 PM

I say just screw it and make college games anyway O'bannon is the only one I've ever heard complain and now thousands of sports gamers like myself are suffering from no college basketball games

# 2 Hooe @ 04/15/13 01:26 PM

Per usual, Owen Good nails it.

EDIT: for some reason the topic post doesn't link to the Kotaku article in question.

# 3 Bolt957 @ 04/15/13 02:34 PM

^This, I agree. If their gonna go after anyone, it should be the NCAA, not EA. They just make the video game, but without the NCAA, it isn't possible. Blame NCAA, not EA.

# 4 mestevo @ 04/15/13 03:06 PM

EA is the one using their likeness, violating their right of publicity, not the NCAA.

# 5 smack23011 @ 04/15/13 03:13 PM

No NCAA sold EA those rights and NCAA also says what can and cannot be in the game. I blame the NCAA and their monopoly organization that no one seems to see. But I'm not in favor of paying the college athletes either because more than likely their schooling is being paid for.

# 6 mestevo @ 04/15/13 03:42 PM

It's much bigger than all of that, and they aren't coming after just EA, EA is just one of the plantiffs along with the NCAA and it's licensing company.

Quote:


	The plaintiffs' lawyers said that while they are seeking monetary damages on behalf of former athletes, they "do not seek compensation to be paid to current student-athletes while they maintain their eligibility." Rather, they see a system under which "monies generated by the licensing and sale of class members' names, images and likenesses can be temporarily held in trust" until the end of the college playing careers. In a case that began in 2009, the plaintiffs allege that the defendants violated anti-trust law by conspiring to fix at zero the amount of compensation athletes can receive for the use of their names, images and likenesses in products or media while they are in school. They additionally allege the athletes are required to sign forms under which they relinquish in perpetuity all rights pertaining to the use of the names, images and likenesses in ways including TV contracts, rebroadcasts of games and video game, jersey and other apparel sales. Under anti-trust law, the statute of limitations on damages is four years back from the date of filing. Thus, the athletes' lawyers are seeking a portion of the revenues the NCAA and Division I schools and conferences have gotten from TV contracts and from the licensing and royalties related to video-game sales from 2005 to present. Based on expert analysis, the plaintiffs want a 50-50 split of the revenue for telecasts and a one-third split for video games.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...eness/1877031/

# 7 wallofhate @ 04/15/13 03:45 PM

Is about saying what can make you look betterin court. Of course it's bull who would tell the truth in court to ruin your argument. This is a smaller issue of a bigger problem of colleges using sales of start player on jerseys programs and so on and so forth. Just like the fan five 30 for 30 they were selling "fab five " socks and niked. The universities are getting money by the barrels for players likeness and and they give our scholarships that can be taken away in am instant

# 8 RaychelSnr @ 04/15/13 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallofhate


	Is about saying what can make you look betterin court. Of course it's bull who would tell the truth in court to ruin your argument. This is a smaller issue of a bigger problem of colleges using sales of start player on jerseys programs and so on and so forth. Just like the fan five 30 for 30 they were selling "fab five " socks and niked. The universities are getting money by the barrels for players likeness and and they give our scholarships that can be taken away in am instant

Added the original link. Apparently while editing it I didn't notice I took the link out accidentally this morning. FIXED!!

# 9 wallofhate @ 04/15/13 05:00 PM

I apologize for my spell check and jumping the gun lol

# 10 Sausage @ 04/16/13 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irishwhiskey119


	O'Bannon and that no talent douche are probably going to hell.

Really? A little far I think.

# 11 buckeyedawgtribe @ 04/16/13 11:12 AM

I am with OBannon they should get a percentage of profits since we all know they " are in the game". College athletes should not get paid. Free education, Free Room, Free meals is enough. Once they graduate and are in a video game they should get a small stipend from the sale of that game.

# 12 mestevo @ 04/16/13 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buckeyedawgtribe


	I am with OBannon they should get a percentage of profits since we all know they " are in the game". College athletes should not get paid. Free education, Free Room, Free meals is enough. Once they graduate and are in a video game they should get a small stipend from the sale of that game.

Thing is, does every single athlete get all of that? (Free room, meals, etc)

Wasn't aware food was part of their scholarships either...

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

# 13 wallofhate @ 04/16/13 08:42 PM

Players (especially star players) get special treatment. Is the dirty little secret that players don't talk about. From drunk driving swept under the rug to rape and violence on other students that also receive the same fate. Not showing up for classes and showing up but being sleep and disruptive. Test being taken for players hell I went to school with a star basketball player that could bally read. Im not saying all players do this or it happens everywhere but it does occur more frequent than many of us want to believe. So they get special treatment it may not be financial but it almost means the same in the long run especially when you add the free ride. Try that sid as a regular student and see how fast you get charges and kicked off campus

# 14 soxnut1018 @ 04/16/13 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerseySuave4


	I do think college kids should get a small portion, here's my only issue. How do you decide how much? Should the punter get the same amount as the Star QB? Do you pay based on performance? Is it a flat rate? Should the swimmer make the same money as the football player? Do athletes who's sports don't generate the football/basketball money deserve to get paid? It's very easy to simply say these guys should get paid, coming up with a real solution isn't that easy.

Allow college athletes to hire agents and to unionize. The market will determine how much players get paid, just like other professional sports.

# 15 Sundown2600 @ 04/16/13 09:28 PM

I just have to laugh at some of these answers. I love how ppl blame the players in the lawsuit just because they are afraid of losing their precious video games. Give the NCAA a pass and blame the players when the NCAA makes the ridiculous rules to start with? Think...

# 16 K0ZZ @ 04/16/13 09:34 PM

Introducing an agency system for college athletes would be awful for the parity of the sports as well as the attending students whom are only seeking education.

That being said, I'm not familiar with the NCAA business model but they should definitely be operating as a NFP, with any excess money over basic expenditures being reinvested into the colleges academic and athletic programs as well as scholarship programs. College tuition is rising above inflation as is. Bringing in another sizable expenditure is not the answer.

Things such as the school providing meal cards, covering books, room and board is totally fine. I'm not against increasing benefits for student athletes in the sense of giving them necessary amenities but an all out agent (or purchase) system would cause even further rises in tuition.

# 17 soxnut1018 @ 04/16/13 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicagopax


	Introducing an agency system for college athletes would be awful for the parity of the sports as well as the attending students whom are only seeking education.

If coaches can earn salaries and hire agents, why shouldn't players be able to?

# 18 K0ZZ @ 04/16/13 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soxnut1018


	If coaches can earn salaries and hire agents, why shouldn't players be able to?

They are receiving scholarships.

High school coaches receive stipends/ additional salary for coaching their sports. The individual high schools receive ticket sales, so high school athletes should receive a weekly paycheck correct? There's a massive difference between making a career out of something and being semi-professional. College athletes much like college students with their sights on professional leagues are learning the skillsets and conditioning from these coaches to groom themselves for their future careers while those that don't have a future in professional athletics are making approximately 10K - 60K (typically in the middle) per year in scholarships. (60K is the high end, if I remember correctly Miami U is 55K? Number could be off)

As long as they want to hold onto the student-athlete label they need to operate as such, legitimately the NCAA has not been holding to that ethos. If they continue down the path they are going (encouraging trivial systems that collapse regional conferences in favor of increased budgeting for the schools therein) than it will come eventually. That shouldn't be the intent for college athletes. The NCAA is in the wrong at the moment, there is no denying that, but two wrongs don't solve a problem.

Not to mention while it works for the main revenue grossing programs (NCAAF, NCAAMB), what about the other sports that are already subsidized by budgets coming from the 'main two'.

Colleges at their forefront are an educational institute and they provide their service in exchange to the outstanding college athletes whom utilize their talents to further the interests of the schools. Now that is a little less shady (keyword: little) but it's obvious the NCAA is grossing revenue beyond what they are reinvesting back, and as long as they want to maintain the moniker's of student-athletes and continue stressing parity, the true solution is a re-evaulation of the governing body of the college as well as a more formalized and standardized distribution of incomes so that the schools as a whole are benefiting from athletic programs and don't stress their foundation.

The current system needs to be amended / laxed in some cases, that much is true. There is some ridiculous stories out there, but simply trying to apply a basic economic principle for an intricate system isn't an answer. (Implementing the agency system and allowing the supply and demand of student athletes settle an equilibrium price)

# 19 birdie1973 @ 04/17/13 12:31 PM

They get a free education that is worth thousands if not millions of dollars.... They are hardly "unpaid"

# 20 thelasthurtknee @ 04/17/13 12:39 PM

First off blame title nine not the ncaa for players not getting payed if u actually believe they should get more than they do. As long as title nine is in place forget players getting money.

But lets say the do. Ill take tebow on this since there was already a study. His scholarship was worth about 250, 000 over the course of his career at florida. Housing, food, books and education. Lets not forget a top notch doctors and trainers, world class football and strengt coach for free. Most important, no loans to pay back. But still tons of uniforms with him number were sold. He would make over a dollar a jersey. His jersey was one of them the mostly sold to date in college football. Numbers on college jerseys is a new thing as random numbers were used up till 10 years ago. Tebow would of taken home about 20, 000 on his jerseys. Thats it. School gets half as does the maker. 99.9 percent would not sell enough to cover the set up costs to make jerseys.

Kevin ware would get a piece for those shirts but also the college. Ould recoup the money for any outside medical fees from injury and rehad. Prob anonther 30, 000 to 70, 000 dollars. If u start paying players then schools will start charging them. But of course none of this while title nine in effect.

As far as ea goes, they pay millions of dollars a year to the schools already. With top schools making as much as a quarter of a million a piece. Also the ncaa told ea a few years ago they could use real players but the choose not too.

Players getting payed is silly. The make a fortune from what they get if they take atvantage of it. Why change it when it would really effect about .5 % of football players as most will not make a profit but it is true they arent marketed for this purpose unless ur a top player.

Also not one player outside of football would of made money. Basketball could but players dont stay long enough to generate profit. Just some insight.

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