Bruce Pearl calls for collective bargaining, multi-year contracts in college sports

With collective bargaining at the forefront of the college sports conversation, former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl voiced his support. He discussed his plan to help try and settle the landscape.

Pearl, now an analyst for TNT Sports, broke down four things he would do differently. One would be to pave the way for collective bargaining, allowing for the players to be involved in talks about the rules. That, he argued, would take the courts out of the equation.

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Pearl then argued for multi-year contracts and a new approach to revenue-sharing with different funds for football and basketball. Finally, he said players should get five years of eligibility without the ability to appeal.

“No. 1, we’ve got to get Congress to help us establish some collective bargaining,” Pearl said Saturday. “What that would do is, that would have the players and both parties be able to agree. That’s where the courts would have no say. We’d have to adjust the transfer portal. My idea is to let the kids sign two- or three-year contracts. If you want out of a two-year contract, both have to agree.

“I think we’ve got to decide what the rev-share is going to be. … The last thing is, five years of eligibility, no appeals. That takes a lot of the legislation out of it.”

Bruce Pearl: Collective bargaining is ‘where we need to go’

While there’s still a debate around whether college athletes could be considered employees, collective bargaining continues to be floated as a potential answer. Tennessee athletics director Danny White most recently spoke in support of the idea, and ESPN analyst Jay Bilas – a practicing attorney – has done so, as well.

In August, On3’s Pete Nakos reported 23 Power Four football general managers also backed collective bargaining in a closed-door meeting. Bruce Pearl is also among those in favor of the move, calling the current off-court situation “out of control.”

“Guys, collective bargaining, for me, is where we need to go,” Pearl said. “I just don’t see Congress fixing it. In other words, somebody representing college basketball, college football. Somebody representing the players. Have them get together, decide what the rules are going to be. Agree to it, then the courts are out of it.

“Right now, the game is terrific on the court. But it’s completely out of control off the court.”