The four teams in the College Football Playoff used cash payments from fan “collectives” in unique ways to build their rosters, showing how much an influx of money has changed college sports.
Testimony in a National Labor Relations Board hearing is challenging the amateurism model that has remained a bedrock of college athletics as it has evolved into a billion-dollar business.
Under the plan, schools would set aside educational trust funds of at least $30,000 per year for at least half of their athletes, and would have to comply with Title IX laws.
A shift that allows booster groups to employ student-athletes has upended the economics of college football and other sports while giving many donors a tax break.