College Football Players Demand Fair Treatment As Employees On The Eve Of Championship Game

About 50 players in a fledgling college athletes union are meeting this weekend in Atlanta, across town from where the national title game between Ohio State and Notre Dame will be held. They want a bigger say in decisions that affect their lives, their careers and the sports they love.

The meeting is taking place as the NCAA, the governing body of college athletics, faces increasing pressure to rethink its business model, which has long relied on the unpaid labor of student athletes to generate billions of dollars in revenue.

The athletes, who are part of the College Athletes Players Association, or CAPA, are pushing for better compensation, improved health and safety protocols, and a greater voice in the decisions that shape their sport.

The issue of compensation is a contentious one, with many arguing that college athletes should be paid for their work, given the enormous sums of money that colleges and universities generate from football and other sports.

Others argue that paying college athletes would undermine the amateur status of college sports and create a host of other problems, including the potential for corruption and the blurring of lines between college and professional sports.

But the athletes who are part of CAPA say they are not asking for the moon, just a fair shake. They point out that they are the ones who are putting their bodies on the line every week, who are generating the excitement and the revenue that makes college sports so popular.

And they say they deserve to be treated with the respect and dignity that comes with being employees, rather than just student athletes.

The movement to unionize college athletes is still in its infancy, but it has already gained significant momentum, with several high-profile players and coaches speaking out in support of the cause.

As the national title game approaches, the issue is likely to be front and center, with many fans and commentators weighing in on the merits of paying college athletes.

But for the athletes themselves, the issue is not just about the money, it's about being treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.

It's about being recognized as the talented, dedicated and hardworking individuals they are, rather than just being seen as student athletes who are lucky to be playing the sport they love.