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+---- Thread: OT--Aresco Testified Today In NCAA vs Alston Case (/thread-858316.html)
OT--Aresco Testified Today In NCAA vs Alston Case - Attackcoog - 09-17-2018 04:22 PM
The Alston case---which alleges the NCAA’s pay caps violate antitrust laws because the NCAA exploited student athletes by pushing them to prioritize athletics over academics while providing meager scholarships that left them hungry, without year-round housing and asking their families for money--continues today. The suit seeks to remove NCAA rules limiting player compensation. One witness for the NCAA was Mike Aresco.
Dorthy M Atkins covers trials for "Law360" and she has been live tweeting from the courtroom while Aresco testifies. Kinda interesting twitter account to follow.
Dorothy M. Atkins
American Athletic Commissioner Michael Aresco is taking the stand. The judge questioned why he's next, when she had planned for another witness. NCAA apologizes. The students athletes' attorney also complains: "You’re not the only one who’s not getting notice," he tells judge.
The NCAA's attorney is examining Aresco, who's giving his credentials. Aresco worked for CBS and ESPN in programming before becoming a commissioner. He says college sports were "critical" to ESPN's growth in the '80s and '90s, and he negotiated game contracts.
Aresco says while he was a sports programming exec. at CBS they were careful to never compare college sports to pro sports during the broadcasts. "We viewed professional sports as totally distinct from college sports," which is "a pure form of competition involving amateurism
As a commissioner, Aresco says he negotiates multiyear media contracts on behalf of the conferences. The judge asks Aresco how the revenues are distributed to the schools. He says recently they were distributed equally for the most part.
Aresco explains that three schools received a little more of media revenues that were left over from the old Big East Conference, which was "torn apart" by conference realignment in 2013.
The NCAA's attorney asked Aresco what he thinks the impact on demand would be if the NCAA pay rules were lifted. The student attorneys' counsel objected to the question and the judge sustained it. Trial is taking a break. Back in 15.
We're back. Aresco says his conference, which has fewer resources than others, has been able to stay competitive due to certain NCAA rules, like one that caps athlete scholarships at 85 per school. Big schools can't take all of the top players, he says.
An NCAA's attorney is trying to get Aresco to testify about the impact of the NCAA athlete pay rules on demand. The student athletes' attorney has raised a number of objections. The judge is mostly siding with the athletes on this line of questioning.
Aresco says while he was at CBS and ESPN ratings increased because people liked to watch amateur sports. The judge presses him on his statement, asking him if he or the networks did studies looking at the ratings. He says no, not that he was aware of or involved in.
After multiple objections, the judge allowed Aresco to give his opinion on how amateurism impacts consumer demand, which is a key question at issue in this trial. He says loosening the rules would negatively impact consumer demand.
The student athletes' attorney is examining Aresco, pressing him on any studies done linking consumer demand to amateurism. Aresco says he hasn't done any study, but he's seen one that showed 71 percent of the public believes student players should not be paid.
Aresco concedes that the media rights contracts he's worked on don't include provisions that voids the contracts if the @NCAA removes its student athlete pay rules.
NCAA attorney is back up, pressing Aresco about a specific paragraph in a Big East media rights contract, which mentions making "a material change" in the contract that requires additional negotiating. He says the term is subject to interpretation. (This is a NCAA witness, btw.)
American Athletic Conference commissioner Michael L. Aresco on paying student athletes: "The money would intrude on college sports."
Parties wrapped with Aresco. Before trial wraps for the day, the parties are asking the judge to rule on an exhibit that includes Dept of Ed. data, which the NCAA objects to on a number of grounds, including authenticity. Economist Roger Noll referenced the data in his testimony.
https://twitter.com/doratki
RE: OT--Aresco Testified Today In NCAA vs Alston Case - Agust - 09-17-2018 08:40 PM
I have mixed feelings about this. As a conference it would kill the G5 (outside of byu and military)but the NCAA shouldn't be using the kids and punishing them for the smallest infractions or hindering them from making any money for themselves either. There has to be a give and take.
RE: OT--Aresco Testified Today In NCAA vs Alston Case - Meatwad - 09-18-2018 12:24 AM
they love to talk about the sanctity of the sport and amateurism, but there is nothing ethical about how the power 5 behave. it's a cutthroat money grab led by people with no principles or integrity.