Life After Sports

Aria Modirmassihai

Work unions are very common in all sorts of fields, from factory labor unions to
professional groups, it is very common for a common workforce to have a group of
representatives acting on their behalf. Professional sports have been doing this
for years, with groups like the NBA and NFL Player’s Associations advocating for
a more player-friendly landscape.

Over the years these groups have made many strides towards shifting rules to
help players both financially and socially have more control over their careers.
Now the benefits of union representation will be extended onto collegiate
athletes as well.

This past Tuesday was the official launching of the College Football Players
Association, an organization that will help make college sports more
player-friendly. The move comes fresh off the heels of the new NIL laws that
will allow college athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness. As
well as a reform on transfer rules that will give college players the
opportunity to transfer 1 time in their careers without needing to sit out for
an entire season.

The founder of the new player’s organization, Jason Stahl, said that he began
this new venture too, “make sure that college football players are finally
organized to have a collective voice in the decision-making within their sport”.
Rhetoric that until now always seemed more political rather than genuine when
coming from NCAA officials.

"In the summer of 2020 college football players called for the creation of a
CFBPA while returning to play in the midst of a pandemic,'' Explained Stahl,
"Today, that dream becomes reality.”

The College Football Player’s Association or CFPA will look to begin recruiting
members right away. Different membership plans will be offered. Current players
will pay a fee of $24 a month, while high school players and past college
players will pay $12 and $50 a month respectively. The parents of athletes can
also gain membership by paying $20 per month, which is a unique adaptation for
this player’s association.

The formation of the CFPA comes as a culmination of several efforts to help give
players more of a voice in matters that concern them. The United College Athlete
Advocates(UCAA) have created an online forum for players to discuss different
issues and make their opinions heard. At the federal level, Senators Bernie
Sanders and Chris Murphy have proposed legislation that would allow for the CFPA
to engage in collective bargaining negotiations with the NCAA. A luxury that
only professional athletes have so far been able to participate in.

Efforts have been made in the past to help form coalitions for athletes in
school but they have routinely been shot down. But in this new world, one where
athletes have more options for themselves, and therefore more leverage, players
have finally been awarded the representation they have always longed for.

Currently, the association only includes Football players, their families, and
alumni, but eventually, the hope of the players is for athletes of all sports to
gain more say in TV deals, group endorsements, and official licensing
agreements.

CFBPA: New College Football Players Association to Represent Student-Athletes

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