The Big Lead

ACC commissioner pretends college athletes are not employees with latest comments

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips lives in a different time with his recent comments regarding student athletes not wanting to be employees.

By Tyler Reed

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips speaks to the media during ACC Media Days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown.
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips speaks to the media during ACC Media Days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
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For some bizarre reason, some who work within the NCAA still believe that student athletes shouldn't be treated like employees.

NIL has busted down the door on what players can make while playing college sports, which isn't a bad thing. However, pretending that education still matters is laughable.

Actually, pretending education has ever mattered for college athletes is hilarious. The top conferences in the NCAA have always bragged about good grades when they are available, but don't get it confused; winning is all that matters.

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ACC commissioner Jim Phillips took the podium during the conference's media days to discuss the upcoming season. During his moment in front of the media, Phillips had to remind everyone in attendance about what he probably considers "The good old days."

Commissioner Phillips mentioned that he hasn't met one student athlete who wants to be an employee. Of course, this is Phillips' nice way of saying that the conferences would like to keep more of the pie than they want to give out.

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These student athletes may be telling commissioner Phillips they don't want to be employees, but I guarantee they also don't want to make the conference millions of dollars without earning a percentage of that. It appears we still have way too many people wanting to make money off the back of college athletes without rewarding them.

Cue gasp.

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