Pac-12 football players have banded together in an attempt to demand increased health and safety protocols and also pressure the conference into providing economic benefits, but the latter does not sound like an option.
A dozen Pac-12 players and conference officials held a two-hour Zoom call on Thursday night in which they discussed a number of issues. Players raised concerns about moving into training camp later this month and were told by officials that they would have an update from the Pac-12 medical advisory commission next week, according to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. Officials also assured players that eligibility extensions would be addressed for players who opt out or in the event that a full season is not played.
What Pac-12 officials are not willing to discuss, however, is money. Players have demanded 50 percent of conference revenues, but Bolch reports that they were told schools would not support any such proposal. Sharing revenue with players and essentially making athletes employees would impact other athletes in non-revenue sports as well as have Title IX implications.
We already know that players were unhappy with how they felt they were treated by Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott during the call. It’s probably safe to assume the financial demands played a role in that.
