NCPA Says Proposed NCAA Constitution is a Failure

The National College Players Association issued a response to the proposed draft of a new NCAA constitution that was made public on Monday.

University of Iowa basketball captain and NCPA leader Jordan Bohannon stated, “It’s disappointing.  Somehow the NCAA missed the message from state and federal lawmakers, the US Supreme Court, the US Department of Justice, the NLRB General Counsel and, most importantly, from us athletes that college athletes are #NotNCAAProperty.  This is America and college athletes have rights and freedoms that the NCAA cannot deny.”  Bohannon continued, “And on behalf of so many athletes across the nation, I’d like to thank the US Supreme Court and every state and federal lawmaker and regulator who has fought against the NCAA’s unjust and illegal treatment of us athletes.  We still need you to stand with us and fight against these injustices.”

In the proposed constitution, the NCAA would:

• Remain complicit in physical, mental, and sexual abuse of college athletes by refusing to commit to enforcing health & safety standards
• Make no commitment to enforce Title IX
• Include no requirement to pay for athletes’ sports-related medical expenses
• Not protect injured players from losing scholarships
• Continue to violate college athletes’ rights under antitrust laws with its illegal compensation prohibition (disproportionately harms Black athletes in FB, MBB, WBB)
• Continue to allow the punishment of athletes who have not committed a violation

NCPA Executive Director Ramogi Huma said, “This proposal attempts to package the current and failed NCAA practices of pretending colleges will address athlete abuse and discrimination against female athletes when, in truth, the colleges are the perpetrators of these ills.  This is more of the same from the NCAA and it will bring more of the same from us – pursuing governmental action to fight for justice.”

The National College Players Association has been a primary force behind state laws, Congressional hearings, and the Alston v. NCAA antitrust lawsuit that received a unanimous 9-0 US Supreme Court ruling in favor of college athletes’ rights.  It will continue to fight against the unjust treatment of college athletes.

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