KNOXVILLE, TN (WOKI / WVLT) – The University of Tennessee athletics department is taking a closer look at collective bargaining as a possible path forward for college sports.
Tennessee Athletic Director Danny White and the Tennessee basketball program have partnered with Athletes.org to develop a mock collective bargaining framework designed to address ongoing issues surrounding athlete compensation, transfers and eligibility.
The proposal would allow athletes to have representatives who negotiate with schools over key issues, much like players associations do in professional sports.
Under the draft framework, several concepts have already gained support, including:
- One universal agreement governing athlete compensation
- A salary cap and spending floor for athletic programs
- Five years of athletic eligibility
- A mandatory offseason period without required team activities
Athletes.org Executive Director and co-founder Brandon Copeland said college athletics could benefit from solutions already used in professional sports.
“The problems that college athletics are trying to solve have been solved and they’ve been solved at the pro level,” Copeland said. “The way the pros solve for free agency or the transfer portal in college is through collective bargaining.”
Copeland argues that athletes currently lack an independent organization to represent their interests in discussions about the future of college sports.
Athletes.org has voiced opposition to the proposed Protect College Sports Act, saying student-athletes have not been sufficiently included in those discussions. The group believes athletes should have a direct voice in determining rules governing pay, transfers and working conditions.
On3 writer Chris Low said White has emerged as one of the most prominent athletic directors advocating for collective bargaining.
According to Low, White believes negotiated agreements between schools and athletes could provide more consistent solutions than relying on court rulings to shape the future of college athletics.
Still, significant hurdles remain.
Low said many conference commissioners remain skeptical of collective bargaining because they fear it could further blur the line between amateur and professional sports.
Supporters, however, argue that a bargaining model could help reduce uncertainty surrounding the transfer portal, NIL compensation and athlete movement between schools.
The current proposal remains a preliminary draft, but supporters hope it can serve as a blueprint for broader discussions across college athletics as universities search for long-term solutions in an evolving landscape.
