Murphy: The Country Is Waking Up to the Injustices Inherent in College Athletics

Press Release

As state Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) laws come into effect, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Thursday joined the United College Athlete Advocates (UCAA), a newly-formed, athlete-led organization, and U.S. Representative Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) to discuss why the inequities in college sports are a civil rights issue and why college athletes organizing together is fundamental toward changing college sports for the better. They also discussed the negative impacts of amateurism and the need to expand rights for college athletes, including the right to collectively bargain. Murphy also praised the launch of UCAA and their mission to provide a platform for college athletes to make their voices heard.

On the inequities in the college sports industry, Murphy said: "What we know is that the country's waking up to the injustices that have been inherent in college athletics for far too long. Just in the last fifteen years this business has quadrupled in size. Today, the college athletic industry is a $15 billion industry, and there are thousands of adults who are getting rich off of that industry. Maybe the coaches are the most high profile example of the multimillion dollar salaries, but there are plenty of people in the broadcast industry and clothing and apparel industry and the sports betting industry who are making lots of money off of the essentially free labor of the athletes who are actually out there putting the product on the field."

On the College Athlete Right to Organize Act, Murphy said: "I also believe that we need to give the right to student athletes to be able to organize, to be able to join together and represent themselves, represent themselves with other athletes to try to do better than just NIL--to make sure that there are safety protections in place to protect the health of students, to make sure that students get a chance to be students rather than be forced to go sometimes 50-60 hours a week to advance the college athletics programs, to be able to choose the major of their choice rather than to be shoved into the classes that make sense when they're working, their athletics schedule. And of course, to argue for more compensation beyond just name, image, and likeness."

On the Supreme Court's decision in NCAA v Alston, Murphy said: "Obviously part of this milieu is the landmark Supreme Court case Alston v NCAA, which essentially declared that the colleges have been illegally colluding over the years to limit the compensation available to student athletes. I think that case is the beginning--not the end--of a crackdown on the abusive practices in many of these schools…I think we'll be seeing the ramifications and impact of that for years to come."

Murphy has been an outspoken advocate on the issue of reforming college sports. On Thursday, Murphy issued a statement as state NIL laws come into effect across the country. Last week, Murphy praised the unanimous Supreme Court ruling in NCAA v Alston. In March, Murphy issued a statement after the Supreme Court heard NCAA v Alston. Most recently, Murphy along with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced the College Athlete Right to Organize Act, legislation to provide collective bargaining rights for college athletes. Senator Murphy also wrote the College Athlete Economic Freedom Act with Rep. Lori Trahan, which grants unrestricted rights to college athletes over the use of their name, image, and likeness.

You can read Murphy's full remarks below:

MURPHY: "So excited to be with some amazing, amazing, current and former college-athletes who are launching today, the United College Athlete [Advocates], the UCAA.

"I'm joined here today by my great friend, Congressman Lori Trahan, and we're going to set the scene. But really, this moment is for these organizers and athletes, and so we're going to very quickly turn it over to them to explain to you how important this day is. How important it is for athletes all across the country to have access to an association of student athletes who are going to be able to band together to petition for the rights they deserve as they go through their college athletic experience.

"And today is also a very big day because things are changing very fast when it comes to the rights of athletes. Actually, Trahan and I joined together with several of our colleagues to introduce legislation that allows for every student in the country to be able to do endorsement deals to make a limited amount of money off of their talents, just like frankly any other talented college student is able to do who isn't playing college athletics.

"Our legislation, I hope has helped push states forward who have introduced and passed their own similar legislation. Many of those laws start taking effect today. In fact, eight states today will allow for students to be able to do endorsement deals to make money off of what we call name, image and likeness. Many other states are considering similar laws. In fact, only about a dozen states haven't introduced NIL legislation. And as a consequence the NCAA announced that they are suspending their restrictions on name, image and likeness.

"So, well, it remains to be seen whether we're going to need federal legislation or whether the state laws provide adequate protection and guidance. What we know is that the country's waking up to the injustices that have been inherent in college athletics for far too long.

"Just in the last fifteen years this business has quadrupled in size. Today, the college athletic industry is a $15 billion industry, and there are thousands of adults who are getting rich off of that industry. Maybe the coaches are the most high profile example of the multimillion dollar salaries, but there are plenty of people in the broadcast industry and clothing and apparel industry and the sports betting industry who are making lots of money off of the essentially free labor of the athletes who are actually out there putting the product on the field.

"So, we believe that at the very least it's time for the students to be able to have control over their own name, their own image, to be able to receive compensation. That now will become the rule throughout college athletics.

"But speaking for myself, I also believe that we need to give the right to student athletes to be able to organize. To be able to join together and represent themselves, represent themselves with other athletes to try to do better than just NIL--to make sure that there are safety protections in place to protect the health of students. To make sure that students get a chance to be students rather than be forced to go sometimes 50-60 hours a week to advance the college athletics programs. To be able to choose the major of their choice rather than to be shoved into the classes that make sense when they're working, their athletics schedule. And of course, to argue for more compensation beyond just name, image, and likeness.

"So we're going to have to have a conversation in Washington about advancing the rights of student athletes to be able to bargain collectively. But today's announcement, the launch of the UCAA is a really landmark step forward because it does finally give students the ability to have a place where they can join together, have conversations together about what they want from the future college athletics at the moment when it is changing very fast. To be able to join together their voices when they're speaking to state legislators and governors in Congress. And maybe as we move forward, be able to bargain together for additional rights and compensation.

"Obviously part of this milieu is the landmark Supreme Court case Alston v NCAA, which essentially declared that the colleges have been illegally colluding over the years to limit the compensation available to student athletes. I think that case is the beginning--not the end--of a crackdown on the abusive practices in many of these schools. But as much as this announcement today, the formation of UCAA is landmark and historic, so is that case, and I think we'll be seeing the ramifications and impact of that for years to come.

"Listen, I would have paid money to be a Division I college athlete. I mean, I know the value of athletics. I'm a huge college sports fan, and my interest in this is connected to my belief that we need to do everything possible to preserve athletics. To make sure that it's there for the next twenty, thirty, forty years both as a place where our students and young people can prove themselves. But also as a source of enjoyment for millions of Americans who get something truly unique out of following their favorite college sports team. We think we're in the business of saving college athletics, while at the same time increasing the rights of students."

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