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NCAA Pres. Mark Emmert to Meet with Protesting Players After 2021 Tournaments
March 23, 2021
NCAA president Mark Emmert told college basketball players who are protesting as part of the #NotNCAAProperty movement that he will meet with them following the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.
Ralph D. Russo of the Associated Press reported the news Tuesday, noting Michigan's Isaiah Livers, Rutgers' Geo Baker and Iowa's Jordan Bohannon spearheaded the movement that is calling for more opportunities for athletes to earn money through image and likeness rights.
The players wanted to meet with Emmert on Tuesday over Zoom, but they apparently will have to wait.
Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic shared a response from National College Players Association executive director Ramogi Huma:
Russo pointed out the NCAA's shift toward giving players chances to earn money through name, image and likeness rights "has bogged down amid warnings from the Department of Justice about possible antitrust violations."
The Supreme Court will hear an NCAA case regarding the issue next week.
While Baker, Bohannon and Livers, who wore a T-shirt with the hashtag #NotNCAAProperty for Saturday's game between the Wolverines and Texas Southern, have led the efforts, a number of collegiate athletes across various sports have spread awareness on social media.
Auerbach shared the movement's goals:
This also comes amid the NCAA facing criticism for disparities in the amenities available for men's players and women's players during March Madness.
Players have also spread the word about such concerns on social media:
Heather Dinich of ESPN reported Emmert wrote a letter about the discrepancies and said "a number of balls were dropped."
The men's tournament is taking place in Indiana, while the women's tournament is being played in Texas.