"They chose to participate?" Huh? What is the alternative?

The problem is that Johnny Football's performance right now is what matters. People are willing to pay lots of money to see him play right now. People are willing to pay for his autograph right now. Why is his compensation dependent on future success? This may be the height of his career, and that's OK.

Rob, I'm pressed for time today but thanks much for inserting a goodly measure of common sense into this thread. 

I'm regularly amazed by the number of adults who don't grasp the meaning of choice and consequence.

Mike

One additional benefit that a player like Manziel gets out of college football that no one has mentioned is that it showcases and develops his ability, and helps to prepare him for the NFL. If he were to choose to sit out, he would find that come NFL draft time he would not be worth nearly as much. Thus he does get more "benefit" than just tuition paid.

You are correct.  Meyer has brought the practice to the Big Ten, and now the new guy at Penn State is following suit.

Or perhaps the experience of our own Jason Whitehead:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/sports/16athletes.html?pagewanted=all

Jason Whitehead, a former football player at Ohio University, was so badly injured during a workout in 2001 that he had to be airlifted to a hospital. He was temporarily paralyzed.

“The next day, when I woke up, the doctor came in and informed me that surgery went well, but this was a career-ending injury,” he said. “You’re a 19-year-old kid. It took awhile to sink in.”

He said he took the bills not covered by his father’s insurance to the Ohio University trainers. His father’s insurance and Ohio University refused to pay the claims.

Whitehead lost his scholarship one academic year after being medically disqualified by a team physician, per university policy. University officials declined to comment on his situation, citing their commitment to student privacy. They also said they would not pay bills for procedures that occurred more than a year earlier.

But Whitehead, now a 28-year-old district manager for Frito Lay in the Cleveland area, said he discovered he owed roughly $1,800 in unpaid medical bills while reviewing paperwork to buy his first car about six years after his injury.

“The coach says: ‘You’re on full scholarship. If you ever get hurt, we’ll make sure to take care of you,’ ” he said. “There’s a lot of us out there that get used.”

It is not about benefiting Johnny Football, Archie G, or the Andrew Wiggins, it is about protecting the Jason Whiteheads and holding universities accountable for providing a true education:

http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2014/01/us/college-scores/index.html
 

Surprised that nobody has mentioned healthcare yet. That is, in my mind, the biggest issue. It's even the reason that the NCAA invented the moniker of "Student-Athlete" to begin with. A union will fight for long-term disability rights for these players, which they unquestionably deserve given new CTE findings.

Further, I get that anti-unionism is super popular in America these days, but a lot of people here seem to be overlooking the fact that unions are essential to the success of every major professional sport in the country. Unions are what allows the NBA, NFL, and MLB to very obviously violate anti-trust laws by creating things like salary caps and drafting players rather than provide an open bidding system for their services. By caving to this union, and conceding things like long term disability coverage and some protections around scholarships, the NCAA has the ability to maintain something that will resemble what we all know college sports to look like. If they fight this, and refuse to give an inch, they're idiots, because frankly, the jig is up on the NCAA. Public perception has turned and it's only a matter of time before that's reflected in the court systems.

Chapter 2 -- Medical Treatment

cc cat, thanks for the NY Times link. Very insightful and disturbing -- even though it is dated (I had not seen it before).

Now, unlike additional financial compensation for student-athletes, this is an issue I can get behind.

SInce it is up to each institution to provide whatever level of insurance deemed necessary, as a parent or recruit, that is one of my top questions before committing. How will I be covered if I get hurt playing at your school? And, can I have that in writing?

If the answer is not sufficient, move on to another school that gives you a sufficient answer (in writing). If the answer is not sufficient and that's your only scholarship option, then that's the decision-consequence battle you have to weigh.

If the new union's goal is to improve this aspect of student-athlete life, I'm for it. But something tells me when executives at UAW and legal folks are at your press conference, they are NOT doing it for the concern of health insurance for the players. And I think there will be better results if a school's athletes in all sports band together and approach the administration with specific requests (demands?) vs. a national union effort.

And shame on Ohio University for treating a player like that.

Will someone please answer this question.  I have asked it numerous times, and it has not been answered.

Go pay a full scholarship English major $100 for his autograph and I will answer your question.

Actually, the student-athlete/families own medical coverage is the primary insurer in case of injury. Something many coaches probably do not even know. The University is 2nd and in many cases there is not 100% coverage.

That is not the way it should be.  University should be first, foremost and complete.  No excuse. 

Bingo!