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SportsTranscript
00:00 These are my views, my opinions, as I've seen college football, college sports take shape
00:07 since my days as a student athlete and now as a current coach.
00:13 I want to take this opportunity to speak about the big picture.
00:16 Much bigger than any one game, bigger than any game this season, the issues I see affecting
00:25 college athletics, college football, and more specifically, student athletes, the talent.
00:34 The big one, the one I mentioned, first started mentioning back in 2020 and then again in
00:41 2022 at the Big Ten media days.
00:45 I continue to advocate for that today.
00:47 A system of revenue sharing with the student athletes.
00:55 I'm aware and understand that when someone speaks out in defense of those without a voice,
00:59 attempts are made to diminish the individual's character and credibility.
01:06 As a former player and current coach, mentoring many of these student athletes, what I want
01:12 to do is be a voice for the student athletes.
01:17 I want them to be treated with the respect and the dignity that they deserve.
01:24 What I don't understand is how the NCAA, television networks, conferences, universities, and coaches
01:36 can continue to pull in millions and in some cases billions of dollars in revenue off the
01:42 efforts of college student athletes across the country without providing enough opportunity
01:49 to share in the ever increasing revenues.
01:52 When student athletes call it a game, the corporate types call it a business.
01:58 When student athletes call it a business, the corporate types call it a game.
02:06 I am aware that Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said, and I quote, "I think
02:11 the decision making lost its way in terms of the focus on the student athlete and what's
02:16 primary and best for them."
02:19 But we are where we are.
02:22 We have to try to make it work.
02:24 And we do.
02:25 We have to try to make it work.
02:27 We have to try to make it better and right now.
02:31 The current status quo is unacceptable and won't survive.
02:37 In my opinion, when we capitalize on the talent, we should pay the talent for their contributions
02:43 to the bottom line.
02:44 The game of football has evolved since inception and dramatically started to change in the
02:51 1970s where at that time one game a week was televised.
02:57 Today every game during the 12 week regular season is broadcast.
03:06 During the major conferences, every game is nationally televised to millions of households
03:10 and sold out stadiums every Saturday.
03:15 Why wouldn't we let the student athletes share in the success of their sport?
03:23 And we all should be about diversity, equity, and inclusion.
03:29 I'm calling for a system that is fair, equitable, and benefits all involved.
03:37 Don't exclude the student athletes from the profits.
03:42 My opinion, you can't say you're about diversity, equity, and inclusion if you aren't willing
03:49 to include the student athletes in revenue sharing.
03:54 It is a short sighted view of history to presume a system of revenue sharing would topple the
03:59 current structure.
04:00 Look at some of the companies who have implemented revenue sharing.
04:07 Amazon, UPS, US Steel to name a few.
04:11 I was watching that movie Air.
04:15 Dolores Johnson, excuse me, Dolores Jordan wouldn't let her son Michael Jordan sign an
04:23 endorsement deal without Nike sharing in the revenue.
04:29 I think we can all agree that it worked out pretty well for Nike.
04:33 As an NFL player, I was part of the change in NFL free agency rules and profit sharing
04:38 with the talent.
04:39 I lived it.
04:40 I benefited from it.
04:41 I served thousands and thousands of players that followed.
04:48 I think we can all agree that the organizations and the NFL as a league and corporate entity
04:57 have benefited greatly as well.
04:59 I'm not saying that I have all the answers.
05:04 What I'm hoping to accomplish today is sparking constructive conversation and timely action
05:14 with and between the NCAA, conferences, coaches, universities, certainly a group representing
05:22 the student athletes, as well as experts and legal minds who specialize in revenue sharing.
05:29 [END]