UAB becomes first D-I football team to join PA
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Dan Murphy, ESPN Staff Writer
UAB football players say their entire roster has signed up for Athletes.org, making them the first Division I football team to publicly join the players’ association. They were introduced to the group by an unexpected source: their head coach.
Trent Dilfer gathered his team for a voluntary meeting in mid-April to encourage them to prepare for a future when college athletes might be able to negotiate for a larger share of their sport’s revenue.
“They’re going to have a seat at the table,” Dilfer told ESPN. “I wanted to make sure I helped pour gasoline on something that is going to happen no matter what. I might as well use my influence to help it happen faster on behalf of our players.”
Dilfer introduced the team to Athletes.org, one of several companies attempting to organize athletes for potential revenue sharing discussions. UAB players told ESPN every member of the team signed up to join the organization after hearing its pitch.
The team has no plans to bargain with their school at this point, but their decision to join en masse is symbolic of the growing momentum for players to organize. Quarterback Jacob Zeno said the move shows the players’ growing interest in having a voice in a new model for college sports.
“In a way, we’ve been cheated out of money, and decisions are being made behind our back,” Zeno told ESPN. “It’s not really fair because we do so much for the sport, for the school and the conference. We should at least deserve to know what’s going on and what decisions are being made.”
UAB didn’t immediately comment when reached Monday morning.
The college sports industry is in the midst of unprecedented change. A slew of legal challenges — including antitrust lawsuits, employment complaints and competing state laws — is pushing the NCAA toward a more professional business model. The shifting rules have made it difficult for the association, conferences and school athletic directors to govern their sports. An increasing number of NCAA decision-makers have acknowledged this spring that to regain some control they may ultimately have to bargain with players.
Reaching a bargaining agreement would be simpler and more efficient if players were represented by a single organization like the players’ associations that exist in professional sports, says Athletes.org (AO) founder Jim Cavale. His company is one of several entities competing to serve that role if bargaining occurs.
There are a number of crucial unanswered questions that could shape those future negotiations: Which athletes will have the opportunity and leverage to bargain? How will they group themselves (by sport, by league, by some other unit)? Will they be negotiating as unionized employees or as independent contractors seeking a portion of television money via a group deal for their name, image and likeness rights?
Cavale said he believes answers will arrive within the next 12-15 months, perhaps via a settlement of the pending House v. NCAA antitrust lawsuit, which argues in part that players deserve a cut of their sports’ lucrative broadcast contracts. A loss at trial in that case could cost the NCAA billions of dollars. Multiple power conference athletic directors also have told ESPN in recent weeks that they expect a settlement in the House case could be the catalyst for a new revenue sharing system.
Ongoing attempts to formally unionize some athletes through the National Labor Relations Board could also have a major impact on future collective bargaining models. The NLRB is arguing in two pending cases — one at Dartmouth and another at USC — that some athletes are employees of their schools and have the right to form unions. Dartmouth is appealing a recent ruling in its case that gave its basketball players the right to unionize. In the USC case, both sides are due to provide final arguments to the administrative law judge in July. Because of a lengthy anticipated appeals process, neither case is expected to reach a conclusion in the coming year.
The NCAA has been steadfast in saying athletes should not be considered employees. While drawing a hard line at employment, NCAA president Charlie Baker told ESPN earlier this year he thinks some sort of players’ association could be “enormously positive.”
Each entity aiming to represent athletes at the bargaining table employs a slightly different strategy to gather a critical mass of athlete support. Two groups that currently manage or represent NIL-based collectives — The Collective Association and SANIL — say the collectives’ existing ties with athletes would make it simple for those groups to negotiate and distribute a share of television rights money to the players. The College Football Players Association, an organization established by a former Minnesota professor, has been working to build a membership with more traditional labor organizing methods.
Cavale and AO CEO Brandon Copeland said they are trying to lay the groundwork now so players are organized to take advantage of whatever model emerges from the current murky legal landscape.
“We’re not in there to get them to boycott, but we do understand the power they can have,” Cavale said. “When it is time to negotiate, we’ll be prepared to have UAB be a part of that negotiation. We’re building the pipes for the negotiation of the new deal for college athletics — the pipes for the athletes to be in that conversation.”
AO says its current membership comprises 2,945 college athletes — 1,348 of them are football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball players from power conferences, a group Cavale refers to as the “Power 10k” because there are roughly 10,000 athletes that fit that category. He said he’d like to have half of the Power 10k signed up to his organization by the end of 2024.
Members have access to support services such as legal advice, medical second opinions and mental health professionals for free. The company is funded by venture capital investors and plans to make money in the future by taking a percentage of some group licensing deals they hope to strike on behalf of their members. By comparison, the College Football Players Association is funding its attempts to organize players through donations and membership dues.
Copeland, a recently retired linebacker who taught classes at an Ivy League school and served as an NFLPA player rep during his 10-year pro career, said they have been focused on trying to grow their membership and teach players more about their industry. He told ESPN he tries to thread a needle between letting athletes steer the ship toward a future model and guiding them as they attempt to learn more.
Prior to the UAB meeting most of their outreach to players has been through social media and word-of-mouth campaigns, Copeland said. He and Cavale say they are in conversations with several power conference schools about setting up visits with their full team in the next couple of months.
“It’s been really one-on-one,” Copeland said. “To get into a room like [UAB], hopefully this has a domino effect.”
Copeland said one of their challenges has been convincing players who are “in a lot of ways living their dreams right now” that they are not getting everything they could be getting. During his presentation to the UAB team earlier this month, Copeland said he saw several “aha moments” sink in for players.
At one point, Copeland asked the players how many of them felt the NCAA would have the athletes’ best interest in mind while shaping a new business model. No one in the room raised their hand.
Zeno, who is entering his final season as the Blazers’ quarterback, and running back Isaiah Jacobs both told ESPN the team meeting was an “eye-opening” experience. Zeno said the need for a players’ association sunk in after hearing that coaches, schools and athletic directors all have their own dedicated trade associations to advocate for their views of what the future of the sport should look like.
“They have all these people making decisions, and we’re not included in it,” Zeno said. “To have a platform gives a lot of power to players — this is a real big deal.”
Jacobs said he sees a future in which a broader group of players can push for a bigger piece of television revenue as well as other resources like increased mental health support from their schools.
Jacobs said Dilfer’s trust in AO was an important factor in his decision to sign up. Dilfer told ESPN he has no stake in AO’s business but believes in their approach and was pleased with some of the resources it offers for players now. Dilfer said he believes any coach that claims to be “player-centric” should be encouraging their team to organize.
“I think this is a revelatory time for college football coaches,” Dilfer said. “It’s going to reveal if they are about their players or about themselves. It’s not bad if they are about themselves, but the players are going to know.”
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Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter
With a slightly fading voice and a ticket to the Western Conference final in hand, Connor McDavid said what many were surely thinking about his team’s latest performance.
“We know how to make it stressful,” McDavid told Sportsnet.
McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers saw their three-goal lead come under threat late in the third period with the Vancouver Canucks scoring twice. Even with those goals, the Oilers held firm in a 3-2 win Monday in Game 7 of the Western Conference final.
Now, the Oilers will travel to Dallas where they will face the Dallas Stars in the conference final for the right to advance to the Stanley Cup final. For the Oilers, this will be their second trip to the conference final in the last three years while the Stars are making a consecutive appearance.
Three second-period goals from Cody Ceci, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins meant the Oilers were 20 minutes away from the conference final.
Then, their lead was cut to 3-1 on a goal from Conor Garland with less than nine minutes left. Nearly four minutes later, Filip Hronek scored to cut the Oilers lead to 3-2 and give the Canucks new life with 4:36 remaining in the third.
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch immediately called a timeout after Hronek’s goal, a decision that McDavid praised for a few reasons.
“I thought it was a great timeout,” McDavid told reporters. “Even Darnell (Nurse) he was getting guys together and showing great leadership. That’s what he is, a great leader. He’s big in this room and showed great leadership there bringing everybody in. … It just settled everyone down and we were able to close it out.”
Another aspect of that reset was it appeared to have played a role in the Oilers preventing what could have been another comeback. It started in Game 1 when the Oilers lost a three-goal lead to lose 5-4, which began a trend of the Canucks winning their three games after previously trailing.
Except that didn’t happen Monday.
The Canucks not only struggled to setup in the Oilers’ zone following the timeout, but they failed to get a clean look on net. Dylan Holloway blocked Nikita Zadorov‘s shot while Leon Draisaitl used his stick to disrupt passing lanes before Hyman blocked Hronek’s final attempt with three second left.
“They’re a good team, you give them any life, they’re going to push,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “I thought we did a great job of sticking with it, staying composed and not imploding and having each other’s backs.”
For the Canucks, losing Game 7 brings an end to a season that initially started with questions and finished being one of the best campaigns in the club’s history.
The decision to fire Bruce Boudreau in January 2023 and hire Rick Tocchet saw the Canucks go through growing pains as part of a transition that saw them win 20 of the 36 games in which Tocchet was in charge last season.
Tocchet’s teachings carried over into the start of a 2023-24 season that saw the Canucks go from early season surprise to a team that could seriously contend for a Stanley Cup. After splitting the first two games of their quarterfinal series against the Predators, all but one of the Canucks’ remaining playoff games were decided by a goal.
“S—. I mean, I’ve lost games in junior that I still stay up at night and think about,” Garland said. “This will hurt for a long time.”
Being able to tie the game after falling behind early comes as the Canucks were without star winger Brock Boeser. The 27-year-old, who led the team in goals and points, was ruled out for Game 7 after it was reported Sunday that a blood-clotting issue was found in his leg.
Losing Boeser on the eve of one of the biggest games in franchise history came in a postseason that saw the Canucks play all but one game without star goaltender and Vezina Trophy finalist Thatcher Demko, who was injured after Game 1.
As was the case with Demko, the Canucks said after the game they didn’t see losing Boeser as an excuse for why they lost.
“I don’t feel sorry for us. I feel sorry for Brock,” Miller said. “He’s worked his ass off all year long and had a career year. With how far he’s come as a player since I’ve been here. Being out there, blocking shots with the goalie pulled. He’s that type of player. For him not to be out there today must suck for him and I feel for him. It’s not about us right now. It’s about being there for him.”
PRAGUE — Sweden beat France 3-1 to preserve a perfect record at the ice hockey world championship and clinch a group top spot Monday.
Lucas Raymond scored and added an assist, defenseman Erik Karlsson scored his fourth goal of the tournament on a power play, and Andre Burakovsky had an empty net goal for Sweden to record a sixth win in six Group B matches.
Charles Bertrand scored the lone goal for France, which is seventh.
In Group A, Norway beat last-place Britain 5-2 and was sixth.
The Brits remain pointless with a game to go in the group stage and are relegated after one year in the top division.
Later Monday, Hannes Bjorninen and Rasmus Rissanen scored 1:37 apart in the final period to help Finland pass Denmark 3-1, a result that keep the Finns in contention for fourth place in the group and a playoff spot.
Finland has three more points than Austria with both to play one more game. In their encounter, Austria defeated Finland 3-2 and would advance if they are tied on points.
In Group B, Kazakhstan rallied past newcomer Poland 3-1. Poland qualified for the worlds after 22 years only to be immediately relegated after collecting only one point. Kazakhstan moved to sixth with six points.
Sports
The Oilers’ playoff run continues to the conference finals: How they got here, what to expect from Stars matchup
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Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter
The Edmonton Oilers are headed back to the Western Conference finals, after holding on to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in Game 7 of their second-round series.
Edmonton’s win sets up a matchup with the Dallas Stars, who defeated the Colorado Avalanche in six games.
Here are the key takeaways from the Oilers’ run so far, and how they match up with the Stars in the next round:
Both Oilers special teams are proving elite
It’s possible that what the Canucks did in Games 5 and 6 may have provided something of a blueprint for how to at least slow down the Oilers’ power play. But even then, the Oilers have used this postseason to once again show why they’ve been one of the premier power-play units in the NHL over the past few seasons.
Coming into Game 7, the Oilers had the NHL’s best power-play unit, with a 36.8% success rate that’s been buoyed by Leon Draisaitl scoring six of their 14 goals while Connor McDavid had 10 assists.
But for anyone thinking the power play is the Oilers’ lone advantage on special teams, guess again. The Oilers’ penalty kill has also been the best in the NHL this postseason, as it has had a success rate of more than 90%. Mattias Ekholm, Vincent Desharnais, Mattias Janmark and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are all playing vital roles in anchoring the kill, logging more than 20 minutes in those short-handed sequences this postseason.
What a difference a year makes
Go back to what happened to the Oilers when they were eliminated in the second round last season.
Among the issues they faced then was finding defensive consistency. They allowed the sixth-most goals per game (3.50), the eighth-most shots per game (31.5) and possessed an average penalty kill (75.6%).
One of the questions facing the Oilers heading into this past offseason was seeing what lessons they would learn from their second-round exit.
With coach Kris Knoblauch’s in-season arrival, the Oilers have found that defensive consistency, and it has carried over to the playoffs. Entering Game 7, the Oilers had allowed the ninth-most goals per game, at 2.82, while allowing the fewest shots per game, at 21.2. And as previously mentioned, their penalty kill ranks first this postseason.
How will Stuart Skinner perform on the big stage?
No Oiler came into this postseason facing more questions than Skinner, and this will be the biggest series of his career. He was pulled in the final three games of their second-round exit last year, with the thought being that his performances are central to the Oilers’ success.
After being pulled in Game 3 against the Canucks, Skinner returned in Game 6 and stopped all but one shot in his team’s series-tying win.
But how will Skinner fare now that he’s going from facing a team that was averaging the fewest shots in the playoffs to one that’s averaging the second most (behind the Oilers themselves)? Bear in mind that the goaltender he’s competing against — Jake Oettinger — is a Conn Smythe front-runner and in the top three of several categories.
The spotlight is squarely on Skinner.
Will the Oilers’ secondary scoring show up in the conference finals?
Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman, Draisaitl and McDavid scored 64% of the Oilers’ goals last playoffs. This year, that quartet has combined to score 66% of the Oilers goals coming into Game 7. While McDavid has only scored two of those goals, it does create questions about what the Oilers can do to find secondary and tertiary scoring against a Stars team that’s had all but one player record a point during these playoffs.
The bottom-six lineup the Oilers used for Game 7 had combined to score two goals with both goals belonging to Warren Foegele and Mattias Janmark. It’s a jarring contrast considering the Oilers’ third defensive pairing of Codi Ceci and Brett Kulak had two goals, with Ceci scoring in Game 7 to push that total for three.
How the Oilers match up against the Stars
Regular season record vs. DAL: 1-2-0
One team is the most prolific in these playoffs, while the other has been one of the best at goal prevention throughout the postseason.
This is just one of the prisms through which an Oilers-Stars conference finals can be viewed.
While scoring remains a hallmark of the Oilers, they’ve used these playoffs to show that their defensive structure can also generate results. Continuing to rely on those principles could prove useful against a Stars team that also is capable of winning games in a variety of ways.
And if Skinner can provide the sort of stability in net that can at least equal Oettinger? That could be enough to push the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006.
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