paying college athletes

[jrish12]

Here is a great read from Jay Paterno about the deal college athletes are getting.

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Resources/Latest+News/2011/June/Jay+Paterno+Pay+Student-Athletes+Theyre+Already+Getting+a+Great+Deal

Although I am not an insider for ESPN so I havent read the full column, Jay Bilas seems to think otherwise. Maybe someone who is an insider can enlighten the rest of us with what Bilas has to say?

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/blog?name=bilas_jay&id=6672831&action=upsell&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncb%2fblog%3fname%3dbilas_jay%26id%3d6672831

Paterno's article is very well thought out and I agree with every single point. Bilas on the other hand, well its Jay Bilas what do you expect....

[sousaman2089]

I'll just say this:

If you go to college and have
1. Classes, books paid for
2. Money for food
3. No way to make money for yourself
4. A poor family who isn't able to give you much at all

then you're going to have a pretty lame time at college.

[Da Coach]

There have always been good arguments for both sides of this issue.
However, if the NCAA allows payments to go to athletes, it would open the floodgates, and make enforcement of cheating impossible. It would greatly benefit the big schools from the big conferences who have all the money, and already have all the advantages.
If there is one thing the Ohio State scandal has taught us, it is how much money the big schools like Ohio State can generate, and how much players love to do anything they can to get their hands on some of it.
As I have said before, the borderline players in marqee sports like football and basketball that currently go to the midmajors would rather sit on the end of the bench as walkons at the BCS schools just to get a piece of that pie. It would probably force many mid and low majors to consider dropping out of D1 sports.
And it would give the state schools an unfair advantage, as if they don't already have advantages. Just by virtue of being the most prominent schools in nearly every state, they have the advantage of getting TV money more than most private schools. And state schools don't have to be as concerned about their budgets like private schools do, as they can always take more of the taxpayers money whenever they needed it to pay players.

[tornado]

.... No way to make money for yourself...

hmmm...a lot of college athletes get a job --

[jrish12]

I'll just say this:

If you go to college and have
1. Classes, books paid for
2. Money for food
3. No way to make money for yourself
4. A poor family who isn't able to give you much at all

then you're going to have a pretty lame time at college.

Then take out a loan like the rest of us are who are in college and struggling... I had a job while in college, but I didnt get to keep most of it because I had to pay for books, tuition, rent, food, gas, etc. I also had to go pretty much a whole year hoping I didnt get sick since I didnt have insurance for a year, athletes are covered there.

If it wasnt for athletics those kids from poor families wouldnt be going to college anyway. That is not meant to be a knock but its true. Matt Howard had a quote from one of his final four press conferences and I think he put it best: "$50,000/year is a pretty good salary for an 18 year old with no college education" That $50K number figures in books, tuition, room and board, insurance, medical expenses, athletic equipment, travel, etc. Considering the average person without a college degree earns only $30-35K/ year, that number is pretty good if you ask me...

[wizard1]

Paying College Athletes

Two of my children attended college on full athletic scholarships---One at a Big Ten school and the other at an ACC school.

Based on their and our experience, I adamently believe that college athletes SHOULD NOT be paid beyond tuition, books, fees, room & board. They also receive generous meal per-diems when traveling. The assertion that a scholarshipped athlete who is not being paid will have a poor experience in college is dead wrong.

They will have a very nice dorm or apartment arrangement with TV, etc., Lots of good food, an opportunity for a full social life, the esteem of most fellow students, and the opportunity to take interesting classes and obtain a college degree which will give them a running start in life beyond their sport.
A full scholarship is worth between $25,000 to $30,000 at most schools.

And finally, they can work during the summer and earn income for clothes and spending money. My kids worked every summer and as a result, had plenty of money during the school year. And---They still had time to practice their sport and improve each summer.

[Beninator]

hmm.. I thought that most of the BCS schools were already paying their athletes!?!?!?! At least a good number of BCS schools at the top of the rankings year in and year out.....

[sousaman2089]

So Terrell Pryor and Marcus Camby could of simply had summer jobs?

[jrish12]

So Terrell Pryor and Marcus Camby could of simply had summer jobs?

yeah, its that simple. OR they could have taken out a loan from a bank with a master promissory note which requires them, by law, to pay it back. That would take the guessing out of who gets approved and who gets "approved" because that is all federally mandated. Also, many of the high major athletes feel entitled so they feel they "dont have to work".

Id trade any one of them, right now im working 2 jobs to try and pay off my loans and im only $40K in the hole for 4 years of schooling. If I would have gone to Bradley I would be over $120K in debt after 4 years of school, and that is JUST tuition not counting books, course fees, rec fees, etc.

Also, not to mention that if a student athlete qualifies in any way, shape or form for academic scholarship money, which there is a he!! of alot more of that floating around than athletic scholarship money, they could essentially make money off the school. I know a basketball player at the D II level that is doing that right now because of his combination of athletic and academic scholarship funds.

[wizard1]

Paying College Athletes

Another reason for not paying college athletes---

Most Divn I athletic programs are losing money---This is a major problem.

The additional burden of funding payment to scholarshipped athletes in all sports including football; mens & womens basketball, baseball, vollyball, swimming, golf, tennis,etc. would easily amount to several hundred thousand dollars annually.

If coaches think this is such a great idea, how about funding it by reducing the ridiculously high salaries coaches are paid via a salary cap for coaches?

[tornado]

hmm..but therein lies one of the interesting ideas...
if they allow a school to pay an athlete -- then places like USC & Ohio State know they would get the boosters to kick in the big bucks to do so -- after all wouldn't you kick in a few bucks if you favorite school can land the 5-Star guys?

[Future Walk-On]

I wrote a paper on this for ENG 300...I'll post it when I get on my laptop.

[jrish12]

hmm..but therein lies one of the interesting ideas...
if they allow a school to pay an athlete -- then places like USC & Ohio State know they would get the boosters to kick in the big bucks to do so -- after all wouldn't you kick in a few bucks if you favorite school can land the 5-Star guys?

But would the boosters kick in enough money to pay ALL athletes? If you pay athletes you cant just pay the mens basketball and football players, you would have to pay all of them.

[sousaman2089]

I guess my biggest problem with this whole situation is that the NFL and NBA use the NCAA as their minor league, with the major leagues giving nothing back to support the NCAA. That just seems weird for me.

Baseball players are given contracts at 18 a lot of the times, in fact I remember some college football player had a million dollar contract from the MLB while he was still playing college football. Baseball has it all figured out IMO.

[jrish12]

I guess my biggest problem with this whole situation is that the NFL and NBA use the NCAA as their minor league, with the major leagues giving nothing back to support the NCAA. That just seems weird for me.

Baseball players are given contracts at 18 a lot of the times, in fact I remember some college football player had a million dollar contract from the MLB while he was still playing college football. Baseball has it all figured out IMO.

MLB doesnt give anything back to the NCAA either... And big time college baseball is about the same quality as mid A ball to high A or even AA ball in conferences like the SEC and Big 12.

I like the MLB philosophy, you can sign out of high school but if you choose to go to college you have to wait 3 years.

College players should not be paid, if they need more spending money like they are whining about, take out a loan or get a part time job. Heck, summer workouts are so limited that athletes can get a summer job that they could earn enough money to last them a whole year for spending money. You are expected to workout yes and stay in shape, but you arent going to spend 12 hours a day working out....even if they were taking summer classes there is time in there to get a job.