Pitino states college basketball needs income cap

• Myron Medcalf, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 6, 2024, 11:35 AM ET

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  • Covers college basketball
  • Joined ESPN.com in 2011
  • Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato

A day after a historic judgment that might change collegiate sports by permitting NCAA professional athletes to unionize, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino stated the sport needs an income cap and a brand-new hierarchy to thrive.The National Labor Relations Board ruled Monday that Dartmouth men’s basketball players, who had actually petitioned to be recognized by a local union, are workers of the school, a judgment that could allow NCAA professional athletes to unionize and work out work conditions, to name a few elements of their employment.Pitino tweeted Tuesday that the significant conferences in college basketball should join forces and develop an income cap of approximately$2 million. He did not define if that number would consist of name, image and similarity payments or moneying directly from schools.”For basketball, have the Power 5 [and] Big East conference commissioners get together and develop a wage cap in between [$ 1.5 and$2 million],”Pitino tweeted.”All contracts provided to the league and school workplaces. “While Pitino didn’t suggest that the significant conferences should split from the other schools, he said the cap must be different for those leagues.” All other conferences establish their own income cap, “he tweeted.”I would never ever omit anybody from the NCAA tournament.

Undoubtedly, football is a different sport entirely and a few of their talent makes more than NFL players. More options to follow in the coming days.”After the NLRB ruling, Pitino joked that his players had actually asked to” work on their shooting,”but he told them he did

n’t want them to exceed their hours for the week. The NCAA has actually been determined that professional athletes are not employees.Dartmouth can appeal the NLRB’s ruling, however the decision is another possibly revolutionary event in a stretch that has actually quickly reshaped college athletics. NCAA president Charlie Baker has required a”brand-new tier”of college sports for the richest schools, which might then pay their athletes an annual stipend through a trust fund. The Big 10 and SEC, the 2 wealthiest conferences in college sports, recently created a joint committee to go over the future of college sports. And multiple lawsuits in recent months have challenged NCAA rules on transfers and NIL deals.”All of us want options to preserve our terrific game,” Pitino tweeted.Pitino provided”Service 2″in a tweet later on Tuesday. He stated the NCAA must be”gotten of the formula”in a brand-new collegiate landscape, which ought to include contracts for players.”Get rid of letters of intent, make professional athletes sign a

[ two-year] binding agreement, no various than professional athletes– which they are,” Pitino tweeted.”With that, the [NIL]

cumulative creates their NIL contract based upon the cap. Certainly, a lot has to go into this. I think the NCAA needs to be gotten of the equation and the commissioners put into it as the NCAA loses more cases than the defense lawyers on’Law & Order. ‘”