(ThyBlackMan.com) “The younger people of course are the ones who are seen on the streets. They are the activists. They are the real vanguard of change because they haven’t been indoctrinated and they haven’t submitted.”-co-founder of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense Huey P. Newton
April 2024 was a truly historic month for college students making news headlines throughout the country. In the U.S., thousands of students in colleges across the country started growing protests on their campuses despite repression by university administrations to end them. These protests have been held in order to pressure their universities to stop supporting genocide in Gaza through their investments and their support for the apartheid regime of Israel. The protests have also called for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to Zionist oppression of the Palestinian people. Campuses across the country have been igniting in struggle for a liberated Palestine. On a much less important note but historical in a sports sense, there were several historic actions for college athletes during April 2024. Here’s are some of the notable events related to college athletes that occurred last month:
-Women’s Final Four tickets worth more than men’s Final Four tickets?: Women’s sports hit a major milestone when it was reported that average price paid for a ticket on the resale market was twice as high for the women’s NCAA Final Four compared with that for the men’s Final Four, according to technology company Logitix. The storylines of superstar Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes playing against the most successful women’s college basketball program over the last two decades, UConn along with undefeated South Carolina led by head coach Dawn Staley facing against athletically gifted NC State was more appealing than an appealing draw in the Men’s Final Four of Purdue featuring Player of the Year Zach Edey, UConn seeking a repeat, NC State as a Cinderella team, and Alabama making the Final Four for the first time ever. Women’s college basketball was historically interesting this past year due to both the legendary Clark and unbeaten South Carolina, who played against each other in the National Championship Game.
–Thousands of College Football players opt-in to be included in highly anticipated video game: For many college football fans, Electronic Arts’ NCAA Football video game franchise was their version of Madden Football. This summer, EA Sports College Football 25 is set to be released, over a decade since the most recent installment of the popular video game. The last release was NCAA Football 14 in July 2013. Due to Name, Image, and Likeness creating new avenues for today’s college athletes to be compensated, over 12,300 total college football players opted in through mid-April to have their name, image and likeness used will receive $600 and a copy of the game, valued at around $70.
– UAB becomes the first Division I football program to enter an agreement with a players association: Former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Trent Dilfer is the head coach of UAB football and surprisingly encouraged UAB’s entire roster to sign up for Athletes.org, a players association aimed at representing the interests of college athletes at a national level. This move is a clear sign of college athletes becoming more empowered and understanding the monetary value they bring to colleges and universities playing major college sports. There’s no question that college athletes deserve a major portion of revenue generated by television deals and other opportunities at the conference level and these major conferences realize that and are planning for it.
Staff Writer; Mark Hines