Coalition aims to increase athlete rights

  NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin Daylon
McCutcheon of the Cleveland Browns speaks at a press
conference Thursday as linebacker Ryan Nece (left)
and wide receiver Terrence Bowman (right) look
on.

By Christina Teller
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

The creation of the Collegiate Athletics Coalition, an
organization to advocate student-athlete rights on a national
level, was announced Thursday at a press conference in the Ackerman
Viewpoint Conference Room.

Led by Ramogi Huma, a UCLA linebacker from 1995-98, and
supported by 16 current and former UCLA football players ““
including Ricky Manning Jr. and Ryan Nece ““ the group will
voice concerns of student-athletes who say some current NCAA
regulations are unfair.

“We hope to build a national organization that can have an
impact on the NCAA that will make the institution better and that
will improve the athletic and academic careers of all college
athletes,” Huma said.

The NCAA could not immediately be reached for comment.

The United Steelworkers of America, one of the nation’s
largest unions, has provided guidance for the CAC as it begins its
work.

“Our role is to assist the student-athlete organization
and to offer our expertise in building the organization to be
effective in accomplishing their goals,” said Terry Bonds,
the union director in the Southwest.

“Our entire goal is to help them; that’s our
business, we help people,” he added.

The goals of the CAC are:

“¢bull; Full health care during off-season and voluntary
practices (which is not currently covered).

“¢bull; An increase in the NCAA life insurance coverage of
$10,000.

“¢bull; An increase in monthly stipends and elimination of the
$2,000 wage cap that athletes can earn in the off-season.

“¢bull; The creation of an employment program to help
student-athletes find careers outside of football.

“The organization was established to protect,” Huma
said. “There needs to be reforms of NCAA rules that
unnecessarily expose us to risk and injury without adequate
protection and cause us academic and financial hardship.”

Joining the current players in the CAC are some UCLA alumni and
former USC player and current Cleveland Brown Daylon
McCutcheon.

“When I was a player, it was so obvious that something
needed to be done,” said Ryan Roques, a co-founder of the
coalition and a former UCLA player (1995-99). “Current
players aren’t going to be able to do as much because
they’re still there and don’t want to jeopardize their
position by saying something controversial.”

McCutcheon agreed.

“Many of the college athletes who are often thought of as
pampered but barely make it month to month financially,” he
said.

McCutcheon recognized how fortunate he is being a professional
athlete, and acknowledged that many collegiate athletes do not have
professional careers ahead of them that would provide financial
security.

Currently, the tuition of scholarship athletes is paid for by
the university, and athletes are compensated for room and board. If
athletes live on campus, their room and board is paid for, and if
they are off-campus residents, they receive an $800
monthly-stipend. The UCLA Financial Aid office suggests that $1,150
per month is needed to pay for living expenses.

According to the CAC, the NCAA has an operating budget for
2000-01 of $325.5 million.

The coalition asks that the NCAA meets such requests as
increased health coverage for athletes and the increase in monthly
stipends.

“I’m no longer an active player, and these goals
I’ve outlined will no longer affect me,” Huma said.
“But there are those who will come after me who should be
protected against injury in the off-season, who need to be able to
make a living because they don’t come from wealthy families
and who should be able to use their athletic skills to work and
earn a living to survive above a minimum level.”

Members of the coalition include the majority of the football
team, according to Manning, who said that the coalition has about
70 members. The group plans to elicit support from college football
players around the nation and eventually hope that their agenda
will benefit athletes of other sports.

“We all have the same concerns,” Roques said.
“We’re starting with just football to get it organized
nationally and then we’ll try to address the concerns of some
other sports.”

“I think that many of the goals we have will benefit many
other sports eventually,” Huma added.

According to Huma, UCLA head coach Bob Toledo is supportive of
the stand that his players are taking, though Huma has not yet met
with the UCLA Athletic Department. He will be meeting with Athletic
Director Pete Dalis next week to discuss the CAC.