Women's Team Complaint

[Unregistered]

USSF is screwing up big time on this one.

The women have new representation that is way more aggressive. The USSF is scared the women will strike before the Olympics so filed suit to argue that the CBA that expired in 2012 is still in effect per a Memorandum of Understanding that was to keep things going just until a new CBA could be finalized. How's that working out?

What the eeoc proceeding will do is give the women complete access to all financials and background on the main revenue deals. That's the real motivation along with putting the USSF in a bad PR position. To me, the issue really seems to be that the USSF has a not very good deal with Nike that pays them about what the Univ of Texas gets from Nike. The media deal is a sweetheart arrangement with the group that has the MLS rights. That will be the big problem for the USSF. The union will roll in a couple of experts who will say that the tv and media rights for the women are worth x million on the open market but those revenues are shifted out of the USSF to a related entity.

Incidentally, the girls DA will be another point against the USSF. "We care about girls and women's soccer." Really, got around to starting a girls DA ten years after the boys. Oops.

Fun that the financials break out team expenses except he for coaching which are combined. Wonder why? Just over 6M last year in total coaching costs for all national teams. Sure Klinesmann gets $3.5M of that but pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

Frankly though the Nike deal is the most suspect to me. I want to know what other countries are getting. Here we have a multi billion dollar a year girls soccer clothing, equipment and shoe market. The WNT is the only endorsement group to reach that market. That is a very valuable asset.

[Unregistered]

USSF is screwing up big time on this one.

The women have new representation that is way more aggressive. The USSF is scared the women will strike before the Olympics so filed suit to argue that the CBA that expired in 2012 is still in effect per a Memorandum of Understanding that was to keep things going just until a new CBA could be finalized. How's that working out?

What the eeoc proceeding will do is give the women complete access to all financials and background on the main revenue deals. That's the real motivation along with putting the USSF in a bad PR position. To me, the issue really seems to be that the USSF has a not very good deal with Nike that pays them about what the Univ of Texas gets from Nike. The media deal is a sweetheart arrangement with the group that has the MLS rights. That will be the big problem for the USSF. The union will roll in a couple of experts who will say that the tv and media rights for the women are worth x million on the open market but those revenues are shifted out of the USSF to a related entity.

Incidentally, the girls DA will be another point against the USSF. "We care about girls and women's soccer." Really, got around to starting a girls DA ten years after the boys. Oops.

Fun that the financials break out team expenses except he for coaching which are combined. Wonder why? Just over 6M last year in total coaching costs for all national teams. Sure Klinesmann gets $3.5M of that but pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

Frankly though the Nike deal is the most suspect to me. I want to know what other countries are getting. Here we have a multi billion dollar a year girls soccer clothing, equipment and shoe market. The WNT is the only endorsement group to reach that market. That is a very valuable asset.

So in your opinion this is a wise move by the Women, or could this backfire? Seems to me the Women are going after the court of public opinion and they seem pretty capable of wining that battle. They represent there cause well in front of the camera.

[Unregistered]

So in your opinion this is a wise move by the Women, or could this backfire? Seems to me the Women are going after the court of public opinion and they seem pretty capable of wining that battle. They represent there cause well in front of the camera.

The court of public opinion appears to be about 50/50 on this with normal population. I personally believe men deserve more money but I realize Oregon TS will be 90% behind the ladies.

[Unregistered]

The court of public opinion appears to be about 50/50 on this with normal population. I personally believe men deserve more money but I realize Oregon TS will be 90% behind the ladies.

Don't agree as per US National teams. Totally fine that, for example, men's NBA players make tons more than WNBA players. However, when US National teams are concerned, I believe both the men & women should be compensated the same, put up in equal quality accommodations, given the same per diems or same quality of food, same quality of trainers and medical help, same quality of playing "fields" and same quality of officials.

[Unregistered]

Don't agree as per US National teams. Totally fine that, for example, men's NBA players make tons more than WNBA players. However, when US National teams are concerned, I believe both the men & women should be compensated the same, put up in equal quality accommodations, given the same per diems or same quality of food, same quality of trainers and medical help, same quality of playing "fields" and same quality of officials.

The women should get equal pay for equal work. All they have to do is be good enough to make the mens national team and they'll be doing the equal work part. Until then, their "work" isn't the same level as the mens.

[Unregistered]

Don't agree as per US National teams. Totally fine that, for example, men's NBA players make tons more than WNBA players. However, when US National teams are concerned, I believe both the men & women should be compensated the same, put up in equal quality accommodations, given the same per diems or same quality of food, same quality of trainers and medical help, same quality of playing "fields" and same quality of officials.

Valid point. They're representing our country and aren't professional teams. I'd like to think our US Olympic teams are treated equally across genders eg men and women's track and field. Maybe they aren't but they should be. Doesn't look good when a country is supposed to be about equality doesn't treat genders equally.

[Unregistered]

The women should get equal pay for equal work. All they have to do is be good enough to make the mens national team and they'll be doing the equal work part. Until then, their "work" isn't the same level as the mens.

Even if you may not believe the pay should be the same (which I don't agree but whatever) you can't argue with poster's point that they should have the same treatment in all other aspects - training, travel, fields, etc. They do represent our country.

[Unregistered]

THe women are actually treated better. They get health benefits from US soccer the Men do not. US soccer pays their club salaries and props up the womens league so it can stay afloat. They do not do that for the men

[Unregistered]

So in your opinion this is a wise move by the Women, or could this backfire? Seems to me the Women are going after the court of public opinion and they seem pretty capable of wining that battle. They represent there cause well in front of the camera.

With no men's team in Rio, if the women win Gold then the USSF will be in a very difficult negotiating position indeed.

The men should be the driver for media and broadcast rights. Remember that those monies are mostly for friendlies as Olympic and World Cup rights put money into FIFA - not USSF. The women should separate that out though so that what monies they do bring in are not lost to MLS.

As I noted before -- the big money for the women is in product sponsorships. Here, the USSF is in a bit of a bind. They get about $20 million from Nike and nominal amounts from a few other sponsors. The girls youth soccer market in the U.S. is a billion dollar a year revenue producer between shoes, uniforms, related clothing (T-shirts, underwear, sweats, etc.) backpacks, water bottles, shin guards, and balls. There are an estimated 5 million girls playing soccer in the U.S. every year. The one and only direct endorsement access to that market is the U.S. women's national team and the women who play on it. On the men's side the main endorsement drivers are the individual stars, the professional clubs and then the national teams. While the boys youth soccer market in the U.S. would be about the same or even bigger than the girls, the endorsement value of the men's U.S. national team is much much less. The problem here is that USSF recently reupped the Nike deal until 2022.

Assuming that there is no funny business with the Nike endorsement deal, the question then becomes whether the USSF wants to have a fight with the women's union over the split of endorsement money and how much will that drag Nike into the picture. It is possible, for example, that Nike and the USSF could elect to renegotiate the deal so there is more money to pay the women's side. Nike pays out about a billion dollars in endorsement money a year, so an additional $25 million or so in order to pay the U.S. national team and coaches is not going to break them.

[Unregistered]

THe women are actually treated better. They get health benefits from US soccer the Men do not. US soccer pays their club salaries and props up the womens league so it can stay afloat. They do not do that for the men

Because the men have MLS or other pro teams that can actually pay their bills.

[Unregistered]

Even if you may not believe the pay should be the same (which I don't agree but whatever) you can't argue with poster's point that they should have the same treatment in all other aspects - training, travel, fields, etc. They do represent our country.

No argument there although all of that stuff is covered in the CBA/MOU also which US Soccer says is in effect until the end of 2016. If that's true then the women don't have a case as long as US Soccer is abiding by the contract. The most the women are going to get out of this is a new contract signed earlier than 2017.

[Unregistered]

Valid point. They're representing our country and aren't professional teams. I'd like to think our US Olympic teams are treated equally across genders eg men and women's track and field. Maybe they aren't but they should be. Doesn't look good when a country is supposed to be about equality doesn't treat genders equally.

Agree 100%. And good question: does the US treat all it's national teams equally across gender? Do men's Olympic teams get paid more and treated to better services and facilities across the gamut of sports? Very sad indeed if that is true.

[Unregistered]

Agree 100%. And good question: does the US treat all it's national teams equally across gender? Do men's Olympic teams get paid more and treated to better services and facilities across the gamut of sports? Very sad indeed if that is true.

Don't no for certain but I'd venture to guess it's equal if anything just for PR purposes - it would look really bad in this day and age to treat them differently.

[Unregistered]

THe women are actually treated better. They get health benefits from US soccer the Men do not. US soccer pays their club salaries and props up the womens league so it can stay afloat. They do not do that for the men

The health care is actually paid by the U.S. Olympic Committee not USSF.

At $3.5M annually, Klinesmann alone makes more than the combined salaries of the women players and their coaching staff.

US Soccer put $50Million into MLS to get it started. With the input into all the women's professional leagues combined they are still about $40Million short. Last year the USSF contributed a bit over $1.4M to the new professional league. The year before it was a bit under $700K. The league has a new sponsorship deal worth a couple million annually so that may be offset entirely this year.

[Unregistered]

Don't no for certain but I'd venture to guess it's equal if anything just for PR purposes - it would look really bad in this day and age to treat them differently.

The US should definitely pay & treat both genders of national teams equally!