'Amateurism' Denies Athletes More Than Just Their Publicity Rights
The dignity of these campus athletic workers is about more than just money
Because campus athletic workers at NCAA-member institutions don’t have full legal employee status, now with state governments like Florida codifying their “amateur” status, those institutions are free to continue their practice of treating them as students when it’s convenient to do so and employees when that serves the “school’s” interest better. The dishonor paid upon the athlete-employees goes beyond the institutions stealing money from the campus athletic workers that rightfully belongs to them, however. If that were all it involved, the college sports industry might be redeemable.
The system exploits athlete-employees in other ways, which may be more harrowing when considered on a grander scope. Recent situations in the women’s basketball programs at Detroit Mercy and Purdue Fort Wayne are yet more examples of how the college sports industry strips campus athletic workers of more than just their economic rights.
Compromising the health of workers
This is the story of the abrupt end to the women’s basketball season at Detroit Mercy. Those athlete-employees have accused head coach AnnMarie Gilbert of verbal abuse, neglect of injuries including COVID-19 symptoms, and violations of NCAA by-laws. According to the Detroit Free Press story, the members of the roster raised concerns with athletic director Robert Vowels Jr., but were only met with castigation from Gilbert for “going over her head.” On Tuesday of this week, Vowels met with campus athletic workers individually. Then, when players arrived Wednesday morning and Gilbert was there to lead practice, the athlete-employees went to confront Vowels again. They stated they would not perform their job duties with Gilbert. Thursday night, Vowels was part of the decision to cancel the rest of the season.
It’s been a rough few weeks for Vowels. Last month, he was part of a decision to play a couple of men’s basketball games despite the fact that the opponent, Oakland, had just come off of playing a game in which a COVID-19 positive official was on the court. After the games, DMU men’s head coach Mike Davis criticized the decision to go ahead with the games in that situation. Davis did not name Vowels in his comments, but reporting on the decision indicates Vowels was involved.
Unfortunately, Detroit Mercy isn’t the only program dealing with allegations of abuse by a coach. PFW head coach Niecee Nelson faces similar allegations from the campus athletic workers she works alongside, assistant coaches on her staff, and an athletic trainer.
One former athlete-employee who worked with Nelson, Sh’Toya Sanders, said of the campus athletic workers’ attempts to report the situation to the athletic department, “Everything we poured out to them was completely brushed under the rug… .and was ignored by everyone.”
The fundamental right to a voice
One of the fundamental principles of United States society, and Festivus, is the airing of grievances. Our federal constitution mentions it. It’s the basis of the “open-door policy.” We have state laws prescribing penalties for retaliation against people who raise complaints.
For campus athletic workers, however, the situation is mired. The people they are supposed to air their grievances about their working conditions to are the same people they are most likely to make those complaints about. It’s a closed system in which the only methods of recourse athlete-employees have are to uproot their entire lives to move to a different institution or seek a remedy in the courts. The latter relies on those campus athletic workers having the necessary resources.
Abusive situations certainly still take place in working environments in which there is no question about the employee status of workers. However, the organization of those workers is a healthy deterrent to such vile behavior. Consider how quickly Detroit Mercy moved to cancel the rest of the season after the athlete-employees in a united front refused to provide any more labor until their demands were met. To be thorough, the athletic department has not yet publicly taken any action to discipline Gilbert and the roster members made clear they wanted to continue the season without her, but the fact that the season is no longer ongoing shows the power these workers hold when they organize.
It also reveals the power dynamic that is pivotal to the college sports industry. Detroit Mercy’s women’s basketball program is proof positive that NCAA-member institutions will shut it all down before conceding that athletes are employees and thus can unionize to collectively bargain the terms under which they will provide their labor. If forced to choose between money and power, they will sacrifice the former to preserve the latter.
The vilest part of the college sports industry isn’t the theft of revenue. It’s the theft of humanity.
Stuff to consume from elsewhere:
If you need further proof that control is more important than even money in this system, read Matt Norlander’s look into how men’s basketball coaches are getting behind canceling conference tournaments so they don’t endanger their ability to play in the NCAA tournament.
David Walsh explains how going back to 2015 will only put us in a position to experience more of the same criminal activity suffered under the last US federal government administration.
And there’s no explanation necessary here, not that I could really give it anyway.
You’ve been great. Enjoy this fake commercial for Airpods Max.