Athletes in $2.8 billion college lawsuit tell judge they want to create a players' association

abcnews.go.com:

The athletes whose lawsuit against the NCAA is primed to pave the way for schools to pay them directly also want a players’ association to represent them in the complex contract negotiations that have overtaken the industry

The athletes whose lawsuit against the NCAA is primed to pave the way for schools to pay them directly also want a players' association to represent them in the complex contract negotiations that have overtaken the sport.

Grant House, Sedona Prince and Nya Harrison wrote to the judge overseeing what's known as the House settlement, saying that although they are generally happy with the terms of the proposed settlement “there still remains a critical need for structural changes to protect athletes and prevent the failures of the past.”

That, they said, would be a players' association, which they believe will help their voices be better heard as the NCAA and its schools move toward a system to share hundreds of millions in TV and ticket revenue with players.

The players said an association would help standardize name-image-likeness (NIL) contracts to establish minimum payments and health protections “and to create an ecosystem where athletes can thrive.”

“While professional leagues include athletes in these decisions through their respective players' associations, the college system continues to prevent our players' association from representing us at the decision-making tables,” the letter said.

The settlement, with a price tag of $2.8 billion that will be distributed over the next 10 years to players both past and present, does not address whether athletes should be considered employees of the schools. That's an issue the NCAA is asking Congress to prevent for fear the costs could wreck college