Emmert: NCAA doesn’t want athletes to be employees

NCAA president Mark Emmert joined the show to talk about the hot-button issues in college sports.

Dan asked Emmert if he thinks student-athletes should get paid. “I’m in favor of student athletes having all the things that they need to be successful as student athletes,” Emmert said.

“The membership is not interested in converting athletes into employees … especially unionized employees,” Emmert said. “It’s a completely different model of intercollegiate athletics and I don’t know if anyone’s interested in [that model.]”

Emmert said if students unionize, it would call into question why universities have sports programs.

Dan asked Emmert if he was a college athlete, would he want to be paid. Emmert said no, the current set of benefits would be enough.

Emmert and Dan also got into an interesting conversation about Johnny Manziel. Dan asked about all the money Manziel made the school. Emmert said Manziel got a lot in return, like a scholarship.

Emmert said players can capitalize on their likeness. But he said current players can’t do that, because schools will use that for a recruiting advantage – you’d have schools offering endorsement packages.

Emmert was very clear he doesn’t like the one-and-done rule in basketball. Emmert thinks if someone doesn’t want to be in college, they shouldn’t have to be: “They shouldn’t be forced to be in college as the only place to pursue their professional [goals].”

Emmert thinks if they expand the developmental league, that would give athletes an option. He said they could make basketball more like baseball with the minors.

Emmert did want to make clear that the colleges have little say in one-and-done rule. “It’s not leaving college that’s constrained, Emmert. It’s entry into the NBA that is constrained.”

 

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