Billions in TV Revenue, Athletes as Employees on the Line as College Sports Faces More Legal Threats

At a reception attended by several university presidents in Manhattan, Arizona State President Michael Crow was asked to ponder a not-too-distant future where Sun Devils football and basketball players get a cut from the billions of dollars their sports generate in media rights deals. The NCAA and major college sports conferences are facing yet another antitrust lawsuit — among other legal and political challenges — that could force decision-makers to reckon with a reality where some athletes are paid employees or at least get money in a revenue-sharing model that looks a lot like professional sports.