The Relentless Grind: Examining Wear and Tear on NCAA Athletes

College athletics, often viewed through the lens of spirited competition and academic pursuit, carries a significant undercurrent of physical and mental strain for its participants. While the roar of the crowd and the promise of future opportunities fuel these athletes, the demanding nature of collegiate sports can take a heavy toll on their bodies and minds. This article delves into the multifaceted issue of wear and tear on NCAA athletes, exploring the factors contributing to it, the potential consequences, and the ongoing debate surrounding athlete welfare and protection.

The High-Stakes World of College Sports

The NCAA is a multi-billion dollar sporting industry. The pursuit of athletic excellence in college sports is often intertwined with substantial financial incentives. The NCAA generates billions in revenue from TV contracts alone. This economic reality places immense pressure on athletes, who are essentially unpaid laborers driving a lucrative enterprise. Coaches' salaries, such as those of Mike Krzyzewski and Nick Saban, which reach millions annually, further highlight the financial disparities within the system. College football coaches' salaries have surged dramatically since 2007, dwarfing the increase seen in the NFL. Notre Dame, Texas, Alabama, Michigan, Florida, Georgia, Auburn, and LSU had more football and basketball revenue in 2012-2013 than the average NHL team. The media coverage of BCS schools is largely driven by their sports teams, underscoring the economic importance of athletics to these institutions.

The Physical Demands: A Body Under Constant Siege

The life of a college athlete is characterized by rigorous training schedules, intense competition, and constant physical exertion. Workouts and conditioning sessions aren’t televised. The late night film sessions are not seen by anyone outside of the team. The difficulty of balancing a full-time job with a full course schedule is not glamorized. The wear and tear that the player’s body endures throughout the year is seen as a badge of honor. The concussions, surgeries and broken bones become just a part of the game. These demands can lead to a variety of injuries, both acute and chronic.

Common Injuries in College Sports

Knee injuries are the most common athletic injuries. Basketball, football, soccer, track and field, and volleyball are just a few of the sports that require players to have healthy knee joints to perform at their best. Sudden or repetitive movements or pressure on the knee joint can result in knee pain and injury when running, jumping, or pivoting. Patellar Tendonitis (Jumper’s Knee) causes swelling and inflammation of the tendon between the kneecap and shinbone. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (Runner’s Knee) is a common injury affecting track and field athletes. An ACL Tear occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee is overstretched or torn. Knee injuries can occur from either excessive wear and tear or sudden trauma. An ACL tear is the most severe and common sports knee injury, accounting for about 40% of traumas. Athletes may face physical and mental setbacks while in recovery. Watching their teammates go on without them can be a difficult emotional blow.

In a recent NCAA study spanning 16 years across 15 sports, injuries were found to occur most frequently during the regular season. This is likely due to athletes returning to practice out of shape and enduring long or multiple daily practices. Most injuries affect the lower extremities (legs). High-contact sports like football have the highest injury rates.

The Concussion Crisis

Perhaps most shameful is the NCAA’s refusal to implement concussion reform despite the mounting evidence of severe short and long term health risks. There have been numerous tragedies where former NFL players committed suicide and were later found to be suffering from CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy. It’s a degenerative brain condition linked to contact sports. College athletes face the same risks. Proof of this was found after Penn football player Owen Thomas committed suicide at the age of 21. He was found to have CTE.

Long-Term Health Consequences

Beyond immediate injuries, the accumulated wear and tear can lead to chronic health problems later in life. The physical toll exacted on college athletes can manifest in various ways, including joint pain, arthritis, and other musculoskeletal conditions. The lack of guaranteed full medical coverage for players and the potential for former players to face cognitive and physical issues, such as needing knee replacements, without financial assistance are serious concerns.

The Mental and Emotional Strain: More Than Just a Game

The pressure to perform, maintain academic standing, and manage social life can create a stressful environment for college athletes. The constant scrutiny from coaches, fans, and the media can further exacerbate these pressures.

Balancing Academics and Athletics

We’ve all heard the NCAA’s rhetoric about academics being first, but in college sports, the money is first. That’s why graduation rates for football and basketball players continue to hover around 50% and the NCAA refuses to use some of its billions of dollars for degree completion.

The Psychological Impact of Injury

Injuries not only sideline athletes physically but also take a significant toll on their mental and emotional well-being. The frustration of being unable to compete, the fear of re-injury, and the potential impact on their athletic careers can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.

The Debate Over Athlete Rights and Protections

The issue of wear and tear on NCAA athletes has fueled a growing debate over their rights and protections. Critics argue that the current system exploits athletes, who generate substantial revenue for their institutions while receiving limited compensation and protection.

The Call for Unionization

As I became aware of the lack of protections and lack of rights of college athletes, I became determined to try and change the system. As industries of the past where unions were formed and improved the lives of American workers, college athletics had many of the same attributes. There is no denying that the NCAA is a multi-billion dollar sporting industry. If you examine how players in other multi-billion dollar sporting industries (such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, etc.) gained better rights and protections, it was through the formation of a union. The presence of a union in these industries not only aided the players but the entire league benefitted and felt increasing revenues and an overall increase in fan bases. I then began to look into organizations that already advocated for the rights of college athletes and I came across the National College Player’s Association that was founded and run by Ramogi Huma, a former UCLA linebacker. I reached out to Ramogi and expressed my thoughts, ideas, and interest in helping him bring about NCAA reform. From that moment forward we have been pushing for reform and trying to get college athletes the rights and protections all Americans deserve. Ramogi has been working with the United Steelworkers movement since the inception of the NCPA. The steelworkers have long supported the rights of college athletes and without their guidance and resources, many of the newfound positive changes in the NCAA would not have occurred. It was with the invaluable help of the steelworkers, Ramogi and I put forth a plan to start the first union in collegiate sports. The first step in this plan was to prove that college athletes are employees of their university.

The Employee Argument

To do this, we needed a football team to step up and sign employee cards petitioning for the labor board in their state to rule they were indeed employees. Since I was a current member of the Northwestern football team it made sense for me to discuss this issue with my team. After my senior season concluded, I set up a meeting with the team to discuss the issues, propose a plan and see if they wanted to proceed. After carefully outlining issues, detailing the plan and then answering many, well thought out questions from my teammates, player’s had an individual decision to sign the petition cards and an overwhelming majority of the player’s chose to sign the cards. We gathered the cards and filed them with the National Labor Relations Board. A trial date was set and our next task was to prove in court that college athletes are indeed employees under the National Labor Relations Act. In order to make this claim we needed to prove that football player’s work sufficient hours, are under control of the claimed employer, and are compensated for their performed service. On a cold, winter day in Chicago I testified about the day in the life of a Northwestern football player. We were able to show that football players work an upwards of 60 hours a week during training camp and 40-50 hours a week during football season. We were able to show that football players had to abide by rules and regulations imposed by the athletic department and that violations of these rules could result in the termination of their scholarship. Finally, we were able to show that the full athletic scholarship (room, tuition, and board) was indeed a form of compensation for an athletic service. In short, we proved that athletes are already paid to play. These findings are not exclusive of Northwestern; the same working conditions are standard for college football teams across the country.

In March of 2014, a few months after the testimony, the NLRB regional director issued a decision ruling that the Northwestern football players were employees of the University with the right to collective bargain. Following this ruling Northwestern University was granted a request for review from the full board in Washington D.C. The NCAA and Northwestern combatted our case by introducing many different false narratives to sway the board from upholding the regional ruling.

Debunking the Myths

Their arguments highlighted three myths that were brought into the light by the media. They said ruling that college athletes were employees would disrupt competitive equality among college teams. The ruling that college athletes are employees would disrupt the concept of “amateur” athletics. They argued that ruling that college athletes are employees would create an issue of income tax. In actuality, the current system does not produce competitive equality. Between 2002-2011, 99.3% of the top 100 football recruits in the nation chose teams in the power conferences. Historically, over 90% of football teams that finish in the top 25 rankings and over 90% of the basketball teams that make it to the Final Four are from the power conferences. Currently, the wealthiest schools hire the best coaches, have the best facilities, benefit from the biggest recruiting budgets, and sign the best recruits. Where is the competitive equity in this? The myth regarding the NCAA’s definition of “Amateurism” is easily dispelled. The NCAA’s $11 billion TV deal with CBS, multimillion dollar salaries, and stadiums that dwarf those in the NFL clearly demonstrate this. And again, we proved that athletes are already paid to play. There’s another myth that if college athletes had a union that nonrevenue sports would be cut. The truth is that there is over $1 billion in NEW TV revenue being generated every year, which is more than enough to increase protections without harming any other sports. Finally, the continued myth of income tax issues was squashed when the IRS issued a letter stating that college athletes WILL NOT have to pay additional income taxes on their scholarship if ruled employees. Despite easily addressing the NCAA’s myths, the full board finally released their decision deciding not to exert jurisdiction in this matter, therefore overruling the previous decision. While the ruling was disappointing, and not the ruling we were hoping for, it does not close the door on this issue. Other player’s can bring forth this issue again and in the future we hope these athletes will obtain a ruling and not an outcome that amounts to the passing of a hot potato. We are hopeful that the next time this issue is in front of the NLRB, this government body will act swiftly and issue a definitive decision.

Read also: Crafting Your NCAA Profile

Positive Changes and Ongoing Concerns

While the desired outcome has not been reached yet, there were many positive changes that came from a group of players standing up and making their voices heard. The power five conferences have now adopted 4-year scholarships. Player’s are now receiving a stipend check to cover the full cost of attendance. Many conferences are adopting and implementing better concussion protocol. While these changes are steps in the right directions, it is important to remember that these new policies are not legally binding and can be rolled back; which the NCAA has done in the past. When millions of Americans gather around to watch college football this Saturday, the player’s who are wearing their school’s uniforms will walk onto the field without guaranteed full medical coverage. The former player who is dealing with cognitive issues and physical issues such as a needing knee replacement, will not receive fina…

Strategies for Mitigation and Prevention

Fortunately, there are steps that can be taken to mitigate the wear and tear on college athletes and promote their overall well-being.

Injury Prevention Programs

College athletic trainers can help prevent athletic injuries by ensuring their players have proper nutrition, hydration, and form when exercising. Another responsibility of a trainer is to perform accurate risk assessments. Even with the best of intentions and extra precautions, some team members are bound to get hurt. Colleges and high schools should pre-participation exams to make sure all athletes are qualified to practice. Also, workouts should also include longer, mandatory recovery times and practice times could be more accommodating to the environment, like heat waves. Taping and bracing vulnerable areas is important, especially if the athlete has been injured there before. Limiting the amount of player contact in practice can help prevent sports injuries. Even though it is a contact sport, hockey injury rates in games are 8 times the amount in games than in practices, most likely related to the fact that contact is decreased to a minimum in practice.

Improved Medical Care and Insurance

Colleges are not required to pay for any sports-related medical expenses. Not one penny. You can ask former Oklahoma basketball player Kyle Hardrick about that. He was left to pay thousands of dollars in medical expenses from a knee surgery that he needed after being injured in practice. Universities are free to revoke scholarships of players in good standing for any reason, even injury. Former rice football player Joe Agnew is among many athletes whose scholarship wasn’t honored after sustaining an injury. Colleges and universities should provide comprehensive medical care and insurance coverage for all athletes, ensuring that they receive prompt and appropriate treatment for injuries. A-G Specialty Insurance offers comprehensive college sports insurance that keeps all of your sports programs protected from the high costs of accidents.

Mental Health Support

Colleges and universities should provide access to mental health professionals and resources for athletes, creating a supportive environment where they feel comfortable seeking help when needed.

Fair Compensation and Rights

The debate over compensating college athletes for their contributions continues, with proponents arguing that it is a matter of fairness and justice. Providing athletes with greater rights and protections, including the right to negotiate and collectively bargain, could help level the playing field and ensure their well-being.

The Future of College Athletics: A Crossroads

The issue of wear and tear on NCAA athletes is at a critical juncture. As awareness of the problem grows, there is increasing pressure on the NCAA and its member institutions to address the concerns and implement meaningful reforms. The future of college athletics hinges on finding a balance between the pursuit of athletic excellence and the protection of athlete welfare. By prioritizing the health, safety, and well-being of its athletes, the NCAA can ensure that college sports remain a positive and enriching experience for all participants.

The EA College Football 25 Factor

EA College Football 25Credit: EAI’ve loved what I’ve seen from EA College Football 25, but I’m beginning to worry that the game will be negatively impacted by the tightrope the developers will be forced to walk to comply with all the rules that come along with including NIL athletes. The Wear-and-Tear system is conceptually brilliant, but is it another area destined to be nerfed by the game’s necessary commercial advancement? Many know and have voiced their displeasure about the limitations of player editing. Users who are hoping to enjoy the same level of player-editing freedom they had with the old NCAA Football titles will be disappointed. While we haven’t been told what we can edit with players in the game, we know that users won’t be able to edit NIL athletes completely. The WAT system sounds so good, but in reading through the Dynasty Mode blog and watching the deep dive video, you never hear the word “injury” from Kirk Herbstreit. The word “injury” is only written one time in the 85-page blog, and it’s in this sentence from the Skill Groups section: “As opposed to progressing each attribute individually, for example Trucking, players will instead progress an entire Skill Group. A Skill Group is a collection of related attributes, for example the running back Power skill group includes Trucking, Strength, Stiff Arm, Toughness, Jumping, and Injury.” It begs the question, can players actually get injured in Dynasty Mode? We know that players’ attributes will take a hit if specific areas of their bodies begin to take damage, but can a player be forced to miss a game(s) because of an injury? I’m beginning to believe that has been removed. The verbiage in the Wear and Team section is a little more problematic. It reads: “As described in the Gameplay Deep Dive, players can incur damage to body parts during gameplay. The more damaged a body part is, the more it will impact their on-field performance. In addition to on-field gameplay, players will also incur Wear and Tear damage during SuperSim. Each week, players will recover some of their wear and tear damage. The amount of recovery is dependent on how damaged the body part is. For example, let’s say in the previous game your running back severely damaged his right ankle and his left shoulder was only slightly damaged. The next week you can expect his shoulder to be fully recovered and his ankle to be only slightly recovered. His ankle would then be something you want to monitor in the next game.” There’s never any mention of the player missing an entire game. A little further down in the blog, there is more ambiguous verbiage. It says: “In an effort to ensure that players are not disappearing in big time games late in the season, we have set minimums that players will always recover to when advancing the week.” I went back to the gameplay deep dive, and there is more there that suggests players may not be allowed to miss a game with an injury. “If a player gets really banged up on a given play, expect him to sit a play or two, or maybe more,” the blog says. “Later in the game the expectation is that the player will have to tough it out.” Don’t get me wrong. I’m not looking for players to spontaneously combust on the field or for players to tear ACLs every play, but injuries and the potential of missing games are a part of all sports. Having Wear and Tear in the game but omitting the potential for any injury to last longer than the current contest is more annoying than it is immersive. I hope I’m reading too much into this concept and that injuries will function as they do in every other franchise mode.

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