• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Amateurism Is Dying, but It’s Business As Usual at the Men’s Final Four

  • Only two public formal events were held during the weekend to discuss the massive changes on their way to college sports.
  • Coaches spoke about an employment model informally, one source tells ‘FOS,’ but did not discuss a formal proposal.
Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Amateurism, or at least the NCAA’s version of it, is dying. Between several federal court and National Labor Relations Board cases, the NCAA could be anywhere between one and five years away from its business model being completely struck down, with athletes being deemed employees with the right to unionize.

But at this year’s men’s Final Four in Phoenix, the conversations about college sports’ existential crisis amounted to little more than a whisper. This weekend, there were only two publicly announced events related to it, and neither of them received major fanfare. Coaches chatted about the prospect of employment, but there were no official proposals addressed, one source tells Front Office Sports

That’s surprising, given that the event is much more than just a three-game slate and a set of fan activities. It’s also a giant hub of conferences, business meetings, parties, and general schmoozing for the multibillion-dollar college basketball industry. There’s networking at dinners and parties, commissioners flying back and forth between the men’s and women’s tournaments, a major coaching convention, and broadcast executives from top networks taking meetings with administrators. It’s supposed to be the place to address all the biggest issues. 

Almost no one, though, wanted to talk about college sports not being considered amateur, even as this weekend had all the glitz of a professional event. There were basketball games, played by people not paid to do so, in an 80,000-seat football stadium. There was the sunny resort hosting coaches, executives, and administrators, complete with a pool, an outdoor bar lined with blue fountains before the games, and celebrities like Trevor Lawrence popping into the hotel ice cream shop. There were the agents hustling behind the scenes, taking as many meetings as they could. 

One rare event that did acknowledge the changes on the horizon took place at Arizona State University on Thursday evening. The ASU Humanities Institute presented an award to Ramogi Huma, a former UCLA football player and founder of the National College Players Association who has been directly involved in almost every major NCAA athlete compensation reform in the past 20 years, including name, image, and likeness and the 2014 Northwestern football unionization effort. He’s currently leading an unfair labor practice case against USC, the Pac-12, and the NCAA that could result in Division I football and basketball players nationwide being deemed employees.

The event, moderated by ASU sports historian and college sports expert Victoria Jackson, touched on Huma’s personal and professional journey as a college athlete advocate, the main issues of safety and pay that he hopes to address, and the NCAA’s talking points he believes are false. (For example, he disputed the idea that women’s and Olympic sports wouldn’t have to be cut if schools paid some players by pointing to lower-division and high school sports that have robust athletics programs without nine-figure budgets.) It was well attended by curious students and faculty, but no athletic department employees were there. Huma himself flew home Friday after the engagement ended. 

Huma has long been an outsider in college sports, which is perhaps why he is one of the biggest reasons it has changed. He said he believes real change can only come from outside the NCAA, school, and conference orbit. That’s why he’s more likely to enlist lawyers, lawmakers, or the U.S. Department of Justice (which he affectionately dubbed “the antitrust police”) to chip away at amateurism. 

The second event was hosted by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, which hosts a convention every year at the men’s Final Four. 

Student Athlete NIL’s Jason Belzer and Athletes.org’s Jim Cavale led a conversation dubbed “Now It’s Legal: The True Value of Student-Athletes and The Impending Reality of Player Compensation.” Cavale is one of several advocates working to organize college athletes through his new organization Athletes.org, but he’s taking a much more insider approach than Huma, given that AO is looking to work with college athletics leaders—including on its board.

Outside this event, there was no other formal discussion for coaches, at least, one source says. But they did chat informally about the concept throughout the weekend, mostly asking a litany of questions. What would employment look like? What are the pros and cons? Would it help the legal environment? Coaches were looking to get educated, though the topic was hardly described to FOS as the most pressing issue.

Cavale agreed that, by and large, there is very little conversation happening about the potential death of amateurism. He blames the lawyers. 

“It’s interesting how much liability is referenced by college athletics leaders when you bring up topics like employment or unemployment, and you bring up topics like revenue sharing, and you bring up topics like athletes organizing,” Cavale says. “There’s a lot of sensitivity in public forums, especially by college athletics leaders, because of the ‘risk’ they have in talking about these things and how even things they say in a private conversation could be used in a deposition.” In other words, general counsels at universities have warned athletic departments against saying anything about enhanced athlete compensation, employment, or unionization, because those comments could be used against them in one of many ongoing legal battles threatening amateurism.

The risk is very real: NCAA president Charlie Baker’s “Project DI” proposal, which suggests revenue sharing for certain athletes, has already been used against the governing body in federal litigation at the NLRB. But Cavale thinks the lack of conversation is a mistake. “That risk is not as big as not figuring out the future.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Inside NCAA Headquarters located in Indianapolis on Friday, March 10, 2023. Ncaa President Charlie Baker

NCAA Approves Plan to Let D-I College Athletes Bet on Pro Sports

The proposal still needs to be approved by D-II and D-III committees.
exclusive

Bud Selig: ‘Remarkable’ Brewers Run Can’t Mask MLB’s Money Divide

The former commissioner lauds his hometown team while raising economic concerns.

Featured Today

Paul Cartier

Sports Organists Are Still Thriving in the Era of Raucous Arena Music

“When they walk out and they see a real organ guy, it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
Sep 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio (11) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field.
October 4, 2025

Milwaukee Moneyball: Brewers Are Beating MLB’s Deeper Pockets

Milwaukee is holding its own against big-budget competitors.
Kōloa Rum Company Rum Rusher
September 27, 2025

Panthers Bubbly, Jets Wine, Manning Whiskey: The Sports Booze Boom

A sommelier dives into the sports booze trend—and tries Jets wine.
Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers fans wave Terrible Towels against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium
September 26, 2025

Steelers’ Irish Roots Are Deeper Than NFL Dublin Game

The Steelers have history and the foundation for a future in Ireland.
Sep 1, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the field before the game at Kenan Stadium

UNC’s Disastrous Season Continues With Report of NCAA Rules Violation

A UNC cornerbacks coach reportedly gave sideline passes to a player’s family.
Sep 20, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule walks onto the field before the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Memorial Stadium.
October 7, 2025

Big Ten Teams Grapple With Long Flights, Time-Zone Hurdles

Coaches across the country are noticing some impact.
Oct 4, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back DeShon Singleton (8) celebrates after making an interception during the game against Michigan State at Memorial Stadium.
exclusive
October 7, 2025

Big Ten Considering Investment From California Pension Fund

Under the proposal, Big Ten would spin assets into a new entity.
Sponsored

How Jenny Just Is Shaping the Future of Sports Ownership

Jenny Just on bringing her investment experience to sports ownership.
October 7, 2025

NIL Hits Week 1: Auburn’s Atlanta Game Marks Next Step in Player..

The teams will play in the 2026 Aflac Kickoff Game.
Oct 4, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) passes the ball during the fourth quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Rose Bowl.
October 6, 2025

The Improbability of UCLA’s Incredible Upset Win Against Penn State

Before UCLA beat Penn State, donors were deeply unhappy.
Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin reacts during the fourth quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Beaver Stadium.
October 6, 2025

Penn State Has a $50 Million James Franklin Problem

Franklin’s team lost to unranked UCLA on Saturday despite being heavy favorites.
October 5, 2025

CFB’s New Parity Era: Penn State, Texas Top-25 Exits Signal Shift

Penn State and Texas fall entirely out of the top-25 rankings.