UAB becomes 1st D-I football team to join players association - ESPN

UAB football players say their entire roster has signed up for Athletes.org, making them the first full Division I football team to publicly join a budding players association. They were introduced to the group by an unexpected source: their head coach.

Trent Dilfer gathered his team for a voluntary meeting in mid-April to encourage them to prepare for a future when college athletes might be able to negotiate for a larger share of their sport's revenue.

«They're going to have a seat at the table,» Dilfer told ESPN. «I wanted to make sure I helped pour gasoline on something that is going to happen no matter what. I might as well use my influence to help it happen faster on behalf of our players.»

Dilfer introduced the team to Athletes.org, one of several companies attempting to organize athletes for potential revenue sharing discussions. UAB players told ESPN every member of the team signed up to join the organization after hearing its pitch.

The team has no plans to bargain with their school at this point, but their decision to join en masse is symbolic of the growing momentum for players to organize. Quarterback Jacob Zeno said the move shows the players' growing interest in having a voice in a new model for college sports.

«In a way, we've been cheated out of money, and decisions are being made behind our back,» Zeno told ESPN. «It's not really fair because we do so much for the sport, for the school and the conference. We should at least deserve to know what's going on and what decisions are being made.»

UAB didn't immediately comment when reached Monday morning.

The college sports industry is in the midst of unprecedented change. A slew of legal challenges — including antitrust lawsuits, employment complaints and