Student-Athletes in american model of sport – characteristic of university sport in USA

Abstract

This article concerns the continously actual issue of deeming student-athletes in United States of America employees of their universities, where they study and which they represent in various sports competitions. This text is not an attempt to take a stand on an aforementioned issue, however it does present the most important factors creating that dispute. Moreover it adduces the most representative and significant judicial cases and other from federal level which are connected with this issue, i.e.: the Northwestern University petition, the Ed O’Bannon’s lawsuit or the lawsuit of Samantha Sackos. What is more, the author tries to identify the essential frames where bylaws sholud be altered in order to improve the situation of student-athletes, which does not necessarily result in granting them an employee status on the other hand.

The author based his characteristic and analysis of this issue on a representative collection of publications by american authors, various documents and other materials issued by organizations which function in the American sports environment (e.g. NCAA) and the most significant rulings connected with academic sport. In order to exemplify the above-mantioned issues, the author used several times chosen press materials.

This article presents major features of the American academic sport. It brings closer the most important matters linked with practinig sport by students at universities in the United States and relationships between student-athletes, univesities, agents, different types of organizations and professional leagues. Description of the system established in academic sport in the United States gives also the opportunity to identify and evaluate its advantages and disadvantages.