Competing Interests

In this crucial time in college athletics, Athletes.org (AO) is giving athletes a voice and a "seat at the table." AO is pioneering a players association for college athletes [across all sports and levels] to unite, vote, and address vital issues with their voice:

• The future of college athletics is currently being written. AO is invested in making sure that athletes have the support they need to navigate it, maximize their experience, and have a voice in what that future looks like. This is a pivotal moment in the history of sports. AO is the bridge to seat college athletes and college athletics leaders at the same table to create an equitable deal as the solution for the future of college athletics.
• AO Chapters also serve to establish the sport & conference-focused group licenses needed to generate legitimate NIL deal volume for specific groups of college athletes – these group licenses are also a path toward media and other revenue sharing in the future.

AO is not a union for several reasons, starting with the fact that college athletes are not currently employees.

There has never been a more pivotal moment for college athletes, with cases like House v. NCAA, Johnson v. NCAA, and several cases involving the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). These cases address issues such as college athlete employment status, revenue sharing, post-grad medical coverage, etc.

AO has also added several key leaders to its Board of Directors, including Hall of Fame Athletic Director Sandy Barbour and Hall of Fame Basketball Coach Jim Boeheim.