WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2015 SPORTS Failed union bid won’t stop reforms in college athletics

SOUTH BEND: With or without a union, more rights ship football players are employees under U.S. law dollars to college athletes to cover cost-of-atten- threat to college sports, especially compared to the and benefits are coming for college athletes. and thus entitled to organize. But Monday’s deci- dance expenses beyond tuition, books and room legal challenges facing the NCAA and its member Whether the NCAA schools that compete in big- sion did not directly address the question of and board. Many in college sports have been push- schools. time athletics can provide enough to keep at bay whether the players are employees, which allowed ing these reforms for years. “We’ll never know, but I would have thought it more ominous threats to college sports remains to the organizers of the movement to claim it was only “Some of the changes that have been adopted likely that if the ballots were ever opened we would be seen. Even the failed attempt to unionize the a setback and not a total defeat. were items that were on the Southeastern have found out the unionization effort probably Northwestern University football players could be “The door’s not closed,” said Ramogi Huma, a for- Conference agenda before the unionization effort failed,” he said. viewed as progress for those still pushing reform. mer UCLA football player and executive director of was identified,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey told Last year’s ruling against the NCAA in the Ed “I certainly don’t think this is the end of this type the advocacy group, the National College Players The Associated Press by phone. “But certainly as O’Bannon case, which would allow schools to pay of discussion,” said David Ridpath, a professor of Association. we’ve dealt with the external issues, the litigation athletes thousands of dollars for the use of their sports administration at Ohio University and presi- In explaining its ruling, the board said the and this, it’s increased awareness to the extent likenesses, is in the process of being appealed. dent-elect of the Drake Group, a watchdog group biggest factor was the NLRB’s jurisdiction, which there is an interest or desire in sharing credit. OK, Another case working its way through the court for college sports. “And certainly regardless of what extends only to private schools such as but we’re going to continue to focus on how we system challenges the rights of schools to cap com- happens, this has energized the athletes’ rights Northwestern and Notre Dame. The board repeat- improve the support for our student-athletes. pensation at the cost of a scholarship. The NCAA movement for years to come.” edly cited the need for standardized rules and poli- “That’s really been our focus from the beginning and individual member schools are facing numer- The National Labor Relations Board on Monday cies in sports. Collective bargaining rights for one of the conversation, probably going back to 2010 or ous lawsuits by former college athletes over treat- blocked a historic bid by Northwestern football team would disrupt that uniformity. Public universi- so.” Conference leaders have said they would like to ment of concussions. There is also the possibility of players to form the nation’s first college athletes’ ties are subject to state labor laws. decrease the time demands on athletes, give them congressional intervention in college sports. union. In a unanimous decision, the board said the Huma and former Northwestern quarterback more flexibility when making the decision to turn Oklahoma offensive lineman Ty Darlington, who prospect of union and nonunion teams in college Kain Colter, who became the face of the union professional and provide more continuing educa- was part of a new student delegation that voted on could lead to different standards at schools - from movement, said the bid to unionize helped advance tion and health care. Some administrators have sug- NCAA legislation at the last convention, said he how much money players receive to how much NCAA reforms such as extended long-term health gested that compensating athletes for the use of doesn’t believe the majority of athletes want to time they practice - and create competitive imbal- coverage for athletes, guaranteed four-year scholar- their names, images and likenesses would be rea- unionize - but that won’t stop reform. ances on the field. ships and the removal of restrictions on meals for sonable. “I feel like we need to work within the system The new ruling annuls a 2014 decision by a athletes. Starting this school year, universities can Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick told that we have to get the changes accomplished that regional NLRB director in Chicago who said scholar- begin paying stipends worth several thousands of the AP he never felt unionization was a serious we need to get accomplished,” he said. — AP Champions to lead sport in crisis

BEIJING: Sergey Bubka and Sebastian Coe were it outside the quadrennial Summer Olympics. German broadcaster ARD/WRD and the Sunday pressing the flesh among IAAF Congress delegates Both Bubka and Coe have plans to promote the Times that blood doping was rampant in athletics. yesterday in a final push for votes ahead of today’s sport better, generate more revenue from sponsor- Bubka has also pointed to the investment the election for the next president of the governing ship, coordinate the top level of competition into a IAAF has made in the fight against doping and the body of athletics. more immediately understandable and saleable many ways in which they have led the way in weed- The doping allegations that have rocked the sport product as well as to attract a younger audience. ing out drug cheats. in the run-up to the 15th world championships could Coe would certainly have been talking to dele- Coe is committed to moving towards establishing not fail to be a campaign issue as the two former gates about his role in successfully delivering the an independent anti-doping authority, while Bubka Olympic champions go head-to-head to replace London Olympics, while Bubka can point to his stew- favours working with the existing World Anti-Doping octogenarian Lamine Diack. ardship of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee to illus- Agency to take the battle to those athletes who use It is, however, by no means the only issue engag- trate his leadership credentials. banned substances. ing the 214 national federations who will vote to Both showed fierce competitiveness during their Englishman Coe, who will offer each federation an decide which of the two track and field greats will athletics careers-Bubka as the most dominant pole annual grant of $25,000 if he wins, has garnered lead the sport after 16 years under the guidance of vaulter of the modern era and Coe as a champion more public declarations of support but his the Senegalese. Diack said on Monday that he was middle distance runner-so it would be no surprise if Ukrainian rival on Monday said he was confident of confident of the future of the IAAF under either of the vote was very close. victory. And while the issue of doping and the public the “bona fide sons of the sport” after the “founda- It seems unlikely that the issue of doping will relations crisis it has plunged the sport into over the FRANCE: This combination of two file pictures made on August 16, 2015 tion” he had laid. The manifestoes of the two candi- prove decisive. Coe launched a passionate defence last few weeks might not decide the election, deal- shows Ukrainian former pole vaulting legend Sergei Bubka (left) and dates to replace him, however, suggest athletics is of the IAAF against what he described as a “declara- ing with it will be the first major task the successful British track legend Sebastian Coe (right) in the southern French city of still struggling for profile and the cash that goes with tion of war” on his sport after allegations from candidate must undertake. —Reuters Marseille. — AFP

Lexus RC F Powered ZENT CERUMO Team grab podium finish in Round 4

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