Athletes Discuss NIL, Revenue Reform at AO's Players-Only Summit

Athletes.org hosts its first College Football Players-Only Meeting, tackling revenue sharing, transfer portal rules, and the push for athlete empowerment.
Jan 19, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; A general overall view of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the site of the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Jan 19, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; A general overall view of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the site of the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

As the nation’s focus turned to Atlanta for the College Football Playoff national championship game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Ohio State Buckeyes, a different, quieter gathering took place miles away.

Athletes.org (AO), an emerging advocacy group aiming to become the first true players’ association for college athletes, hosted its inaugural "College Football Players-Only Meeting."

Over 50 current and former players attended the two-day summit to discuss the state of college sports and their role in shaping its future.

The meeting marked a pivotal moment for athlete empowerment in a sport increasingly mirroring professional models. With the impending House v. NCAA settlement poised to transform college sports through revenue sharing, the athletes gathered to voice their concerns and explore their rights in this new era.

Jim Cavale, AO’s founder and chairman, positioned the event as a first step toward establishing a collective voice for athletes.

“We talked about compensation, we had multiple questions about that,” Cavale told On3. “Everything from what portion of the House revenue share they should get. We talked about incentives and if they should get rewarded if they get as far as the College Football Playoff final just like their coaches and schools do. We talked about whether there should be a players’ association – 100% of them believed they should.”

The agenda also touched on the transfer portal, a lightning rod for controversy in college athletics.

Earlier this month, FBS head coaches proposed reducing the current two transfer windows to a single 10-day period in January, a recommendation that drew unanimous disapproval from players at the meeting.

“The overarching problem they have is how they’re not included in any of these things and how they’re set up,” Cavale said.

He referenced former Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick’s perspective: “You can fix all the problems in college athletics by just getting the athletes to sit together with college leaders and go through each one.”

High-profile guests like former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel and Grant House, the Arizona State swimmer whose name headlines the House settlement, lent credibility and gravity to the discussions.

Their presence underscored the importance of this moment for college athletes.

The event also highlighted the disconnect between athletes and the current decision-making structure in college sports.

While unionization efforts like those at Northwestern and Dartmouth have faltered in the past, the appetite for greater organization remains strong. According to Cavale, a survey at the meeting revealed that 94% of participants wanted more education on the pros and cons of employment status in college athletics.

“It’s not, ‘Do the athletes want to be employees,’” Cavale said. “It’s how they’re treated.”

The players may not yet have a formal list of demands, but the collective energy signaled a new chapter in the fight for equity and inclusion in college sports.

If the summit proved anything, it’s that athletes are no longer content to be sidelined in conversations about the future of their sport.

Instead, they’re taking the first steps toward ensuring their voices shape the decisions that will define the next era of college athletics.


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