Non-profit

National College Players Association (NCPA)

Website:

www.ncpanow.org/

Location:

Norco, CA

Tax ID:

02-0635571

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2022):

Revenue: $106,271
Expenses: $320,973
Assets: $104,317

Type:

Student athlete advocacy group

Formation:

1997

Executive Director:

Ramogi Huma

Budget (2023):

Revenue: $249,674

Expenses: $271,810

Assets: $66,153 4

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The National College Players Association (NCPA) is an advocacy group of college athletes that pushes for increased protections and financial compensation for student athletes. Founded in 1997 as the College Athletes Coalition, the NCPA has previously campaigned against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the nonprofit organization that oversees most intercollegiate athletics across the country. 1

As of January 2025, the NCPA receives strategic support from the United Steelworkers labor union, including legal, organizing, communications, and fundraising assistance. 2

In 2021, the NCPA won a victory against the NCAA when the U.S. Supreme Court approved financial compensation for college athletes. In 2024, the NCPA opposed a $2.8 billion settlement offer by the NCAA to college athletes over concerns that the revenue-sharing deal put forth by the offer provided insufficient compensation to student athletes. 3

Background

In 1997, the College Athletes Coalition was formed at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) by a group of student athletes led by Ramogi Huma, a UCLA student and football player who ended his career following a sports-related injury. Graduating with a master’s in public health, he reached out to labor unions including the United Steelworkers. 1 3 As of January 2025, the NCPA receives strategic support from the United Steelworkers, including legal, organizing, communications, and fundraising assistance. 2 In 2013, the union was the largest financial supporter of the NCPA. 1

In January 2001, the Coalition held its first public news conference and requested a monthly stipend for student athletes as well as better health care. 3

The Coalition eventually became known as the National College Players Association (NCPA). Huma has remained the leader of the group since its founding. 1 3 4

Activities

The National College Players Association (NCPA) has supported policies that it claims will push back against restrictions on compensation for college athletes, which are often opposed by National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the principal sanctioning body for intercollegiate athletics in the United States. 5 6

Starting in 2005, the NCPA developed an anti-trust lawsuit against the NCAA. In 2011, the suit was settled with the NCAA loosening health insurance restrictions and setting up a three-year, $10 million fund to support student-athlete graduation rates. 5

From 2009 to 2014, the NCPA supported another anti-trust lawsuit against the NCAA that concluded with the NCAA raising the cap on non-tuition scholarship payments to athletes. 5

From 2011 to 2012, the NCPA assisted the U.S. Department of Justice in an investigation of the NCAA which ruled that one-year athletic scholarships were often insufficient for student-athlete compensation. The NCPA also advocated for universities to mandate four-to-five-year minimum scholarships. 5

In 2012, the NCPA co-sponsored the Student-Athletes’ Bill of Rights, a California bill that passed to mandate universities set up funds to support permanently injured student athletes. 5

In 2018, the NCPA helped develop the College Athlete Protection (CAP) Guarantee, a contract signed between universities and college athletes providing guarantees for athletes including financial support in case of injury. 5

In 2023, the NCPA sponsored the College Athlete Protection Act in California that would require universities to share 50% of revenue generated by sports teams with their players. 5

In 2024, the NCPA helped college football players reach an agreement with video game producer EA Sports to allow players to receive revenue for the use of their likeness in EA Sports games. 5

In May 2024, House v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, a lawsuit filed by student athletes against the NCAA, was settled with the NCAA providing a $2.8 billion settlement fund to compensate for lost revenue for any four-year college athlete who had been active since 2016. The NCAA also set up a revenue-sharing structure for future college athletes. NCPA opposed the settlement claiming the revenue-sharing agreement was weighted too heavily against college athletes primarily by centralizing nearly all financial agreements between players and the NCAA rather than permit the players to make agreements with third parties. The NCPA also criticized the agreement for provisions that would limit the ability of players to negotiate deals if they were declared employees of the universities at which they played. 7

References

  1.  Solomon, Jon. “NCAA protest: How the NCPA became college football players’ leading voice.” AL.com. September 24, 2013. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://www.al.com/sports/2013/09/how_the_national_college_playe.html.
  2. “NCPA & USW – A WinningTeam.” NCPA. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://www.ncpanow.org/ncpa-usw/ncpa-usw-a-winningteam.
  3. Fenno, Nathan. “LA Times: “NCAA reform has been a two-decades-long campaign for Ramogi Huma.” National College Players Association. September 25, 2019. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://www.ncpanow.org/news-articles/la-times-ncaa-reform-has-been-a-two-decades-long-campaign-for-ramogi-huma.
  4. “National College Players Association Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/20635571/202413059349301331/full.
  5. “About Us.” NCPA. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://www.ncpanow.org/about-us.
  6. Totenberg, Nina. “The Supreme Court Sides With NCAA Athletes In A Narrow Ruling.” NPR. June 21, 2021. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://www.npr.org/2021/06/21/1000310043/the-supreme-court-sides-with-ncaa-athletes-in-a-narrow-ruling
  7. Cunningham, Euan. “College players union opposes $2.8bn NCAA athletes settlement.” Sportcal. August 30, 2024. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://www.sportcal.com/sponsorship/college-players-union-opposes-2-8bn-ncaa-athletes-settlement/.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: January 1, 2003

  • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2022 Dec Form 990 $106,271 $320,973 $104,317 $16,028 N $37,500 $0 $21 $81,867
    2021 Dec Form 990 $361,602 $405,669 $319,019 $0 N $361,597 $0 $5 $73,565
    2020 Dec Form 990 $388,048 $244,467 $363,086 $0 N $387,421 $0 $627 $75,899 PDF
    2019 Dec Form 990EZ $115,941 $227,751 $219,505 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $247,893 $244,844 $331,315 $0 N $247,893 $0 $0 $97,572 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $254,053 $221,574 $328,266 $0 N $253,723 $0 $330 $66,861 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990EZ $181,947 $229,761 $295,787 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2015 Dec Form 990 $210,984 $206,829 $343,601 $0 N $210,657 $0 $327 $63,088 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990EZ $194,621 $112,403 $339,446 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990EZ $189,701 $185,217 $257,228 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $247,167 $188,474 $252,744 $0 N $246,735 $0 $432 $111,908 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $214,804 $249,806 $257,392 $0 N $213,937 $0 $867 $94,005
    2010 Dec Form 990 $214,804 $249,806 $257,392 $0 N $213,937 $867 $0 $94,005 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    National College Players Association (NCPA)


    Norco, CA