NCAA needs to get with the times, listen to athletes

EDITORIAL BOARD Christine Byrd
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Jonah Lalas
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 Staff Representative

Brian O’Camb
 Staff Representative

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Last week, former and current UCLA athletes announced the
formation of the Collegiate Athletes Coalition, a group geared
toward promoting student-athlete rights. The coalition, led by
former UCLA linebacker Ramogi Huma, voiced its concern regarding
NCAA regulations on such things as health insurance, life insurance
and wage caps.

Since the NCAA’s formation in 1906, college athletics have
changed. Athletic teams were once the central point of school
pride, and the body that governed them was uncommercialized and
dedicated to keeping the spirit and purity of college sports. They
meant for student athletics to be different from professional
sports.

But times have changed. Once, the amount of practice time for
college athletes was limited by NCAA rules. While those limits
still exist in theory, in practice they are not enforced. Athletes
who actually expect to compete attend “voluntary”
practices with their coaches, even during the off season. Under
NCAA rules, health care does not cover injuries incurred at
“voluntary” practices, leaving athletes vulnerable to
crippling injuries not covered by the association.

College athletes put their bodies ““ and, therefore, their
careers ““ on the line every day and should always be covered
by the NCAA’s health insurance. Full health care for
off-season and voluntary practices is one of the goals of the newly
formed CAC.

And this should not be restricted to the UCLA football team.
Athletes at all colleges and across all sports should demand such
coverage from the NCAA. The association and the schools that make
millions from the entertaining performances of these young women
and men should be the strongest advocates for protecting
athletes’ health.

While the NCAA now makes hundreds of millions of dollars from
television revenues, the athletes are only allowed to earn $2,000 a
year above their monthly stipends. In spirit, this rule keeps
college athletes separated from the professionals who might make
millions endorsing a product or making paid appearances. But when
the NCAA is making so many millions by commercializing these
athletes, it is hypocritical to restrict them in this way. The CAC
is asking the NCAA to remove the wage cap; it should at least be
raised above the current $2,000. Though a student athlete should
represent their alma mater and not become a millionaire by
endorsing a commercial product, they should not be limited to
burger-flipping wages in the off-season.

The CAC also wants the NCAA to found a program to help student
athletes find careers after college. Maybe we’re missing
something here, but all students have access to the career center,
counselors and other campus resources. Like every other student
graduating with a degree, athletes should have no trouble finding a
job, and UCLA’s resources are more than adequate to fulfill
these needs. If other schools with NCAA athletics do not offer
career services, this is something their entire student body should
be lobbying for from their administration, not the NCAA.

At the press conference, athletes also complained their $800
monthly stipends are insufficient for living in Westwood. In fact,
they claim the Financial Aid office recommends $1,150 for a student
living off campus. Every student faces different obstacles, and
when (in the case of many athletes) tuition, books and clothing are
already provided for, $800 a month certainly seems adequate, even
here on the West side. Still, if the athletes can convince the NCAA
to raise the cap so they can get the maximum amount provided by
their school’s Financial Aid office, then more power to
them.

The efforts of these student-athletes are a great civics lesson
to all UCLA students. We should all be working for the betterment
of ourselves and one another ““ as long as it’s not at
the expense of someone else. When we deserve more, we should all
demand more by working together.

We encourage more than just football players to join this
movement, and we wish the newly formed coalition of student
athletes the best in their quest for better treatment from the
association that makes millions off them.