On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including a recent Sportico article about the results of a risk assessment that Duke University commissioned in 2022 to assess the threat of athlete unionization.
At the time the National Labor Relations Board under President Joe Biden had issued guidance that implied college athletes might be considered employees by the federal government. To assess the risk of a union effort on its campus, Duke hired prominent law firm Proskauer, a mainstay in pro sports labor battles, to assess its vulnerability to those efforts.
The 46-page memorandum detailed three teams that might be most likely to unionize: football, women’s basketball and men’s lacrosse. It cited very different reasons for each. It also detailed various things the school could to do in a “hearts and minds campaign” to improve its relationship with its athletes. That included new language in its sports handbooks, and a more hands-on role in Blue Devils’ NIL opportunities.
Next the hosts talk about how New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes is capitalizing on his gold medal fame. Hughes and his brother, Quinn, appeared on Saturday Night Live last week. He also called into a live performance by comedian Matt Rife at the Prudential Center, where the Devils play home games. The hosts talk about the impact Hughes’ newfound celebrity has on him and his team, and why Quinn may be central to those efforts.
They close by talking about President Donald Trump‘s latest push to reform college sports. Trump is summoning a new working group, comprised of athletes, coaches, administrators and college presidents. The star-studded group is exploring a potential antitrust exemption, plus the idea of athletes as employees and NIL opportunities.
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