Guard the Post: The first step in the next stage of college sports has arrived

It has been over four months since Northwestern football players wore "#APU" wristbands, joining players from Georgia and Georgia Tech. APU stands for "All Players United" and is a movement inspired by vocal current athletes and the National College Players Association President Ramogi Huma. This was the first large scale, nationwide statement on National Television by student-athletes demanding to be heard. Everyone asked, "What is next?" Well, here we are.

Under Further Review: Northwestern Football Takes a Stand

"Nothing about us without us." - Eli Wolff at the Sport For Social Change Conference on Oct. 25, 2013.

Yesterday, in the midst of Super Bowl XLVIII media day in New York, something that can have much more of an impact on sports as we know it was happening in Chicago. Northwestern's football team took a historic step forward with the help of National College Player's Association president, Ramogi Huma. According to a report from ESPN investigative reporter Tom Farrey, Huma filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board on behalf of the Northwestern football players led by quarterback Kain Colter. The result could have an unprecedented college sports and the rights of college athletes.

Under Further Review: Separating Rights and Compensation

Stand-up comedy is predicated on the comedian pulling at the strings of people's insecurities, humility, and repression, which is kind of why every time NCAA president Mark Emmert takes the stage at a major conference or convention a comedy show breaks out. I know, I know. It doesn't sound logical. How can talking about an organization hinging its business on such archaic concepts be comical? Well, just as the NCAA always finds a dodge the ordinary and predictable, Emmert found a way to make his speech hilarious and today's stage was at the Sports Business Journal Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.

The Closer: Rutgers Makes Questionable Hire in Replacing Rice

In last week's "Sports Biz Report" (found here), I mentioned why Rutgers found itself in the news yet again. Eddie Jordan, the new head basketball coach for the Big 10 bound Scarlett Knights, does not have a college degree. Yes, it is not unprecedented for a D-I coach to not have a college degree, but why shouldn't he?

The Closer: Student-Athlete welfare continually put on the back burner

As I watched coverage of the Rutger's Coaching scandal last week, I couldn't help but think about former Athletic Director Tim Pernetti's thought process. He watched 30 minutes of practice video showing constant physical, verbal, and emotional abuse by former head coach Mike Rice and decided that a three-game suspension and a measly $50,000 fine was sufficient?