College Athlete Compensation

[StanMarsh51]

What is college now? 20K a year? Plus books, lab fees, a place to live, etc?

A degree can run you over a hundred thousand dollars.

The colleges are giving that to them, or at least tuition.

Your average public college probably costs $10-20K a year in tuition (room and board could add up to another $10K).

But a lot of the top private schools with strong programs can easily cost $40K+ before room and board....I'm talking about your Duke, USC, Stanford type schools.

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

No!

 

[OnlyCrimson]

If they can pass a literacy test of an appropriate level, given by an independent source not corrupted or influenced by the school, then sure pay them. Under that guideline very few would get paid.

 

[Clayton]

No, only Cam Newton's dad should get paid

 

[Voltaire26]

How about let them use the scholarship after their college football/basketball career is over. The thought that the majority of Division I NCAA players are student/athletes is foolish. When the time comes and you realize that your not making it to the NFL/NBA, studies become more important.

 

[Irish7478]

Your average public college probably costs $10-20K a year in tuition (room and board could add up to another $10K).

But a lot of the top private schools with strong programs can easily cost $40K+ before room and board....I'm talking about your Duke, USC, Stanford type schools.

This year at Notre Dame will cost about $58,000. So a four year scholarship is up to $230,000. And these costs are only going higher. I think that's getting paid pretty well.

 

[Brahmsian]

Some way has to be found to eliminate the shamateurism in college sport.

Perhaps letting scholarships be granted to players who have realized that they aren't going to make it past the minors in pro sports. They are a lot more likely to take classroom work seriously than today's typical "student-athlete."

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

No. They get a free college education, room and board + food. They get plenty. But I think athletes of any age should be allowed into their professional sport -- like basketball. It limits how much a school can profit off a player. For instance, Johnny football would have been gone last year if he wasn't forced to stick around another year.

 

[fordman84]

More importantly, how did this end up in the politics forum?

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

More importantly, how did this end up in the politics forum?

The politics of college athletics?

 

[GoBlueNavyNuke]

Not only the aspect of these folks being "already being paid," you have to ask the question, can they realistically be paid. People like to make note of all the money sports like college football bring in, but what they forget is that money goes to pay the entire athletic department. I highly doubt programs like the swim and diving team make enough money on their own to be self-sustaining. As such very few schools have an athletic department that runs with a budget surplus, so very few make enough money to pay the football and basketball players (because let's be honest, no one is suggesting paying the lacrosse players). That is of course you can even get away with only paying those players in a "revenue sport."

 

[GoBlueNavyNuke]

No. They get a free college education, room and board + food. They get plenty. But I think athletes of any age should be allowed into their professional sport -- like basketball. It limits how much a school can profit off a player. For instance, Johnny football would have been gone last year if he wasn't forced to stick around another year.

To the bold, yes and no. If a coming out of high-school a guy thinks he can hack in the professionals, by all means let him try. But if he commits to a school, then he should have to commit to a school. I mean look at what that policy has done to the state of college basketball, all these "one and done" kids. If a school is willing to give you time and effort to develop you and give you a stage to showcase to the pros, then you should give something back to the school.

 

[BF4L]

Not to argue but what about the millions and millions of cash that the NCAA and these schools get due to TV contracts, advertising etc?

All to the school?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/19/sports/ncaafootball/nbc-and-notre-dame-extend-television-deal.html

ND gets annually 15 million from NBC. 15 million...53 active players per team (google search not sure if that is 100% correct.) That equates to 1 million per athlete. Of course someone has to pay the coaches etc...

Seems to me that is just a money maker for schools. Now I used ND cause I knew they had that NBC contract. I dont know how many others do.

What is the graduation rate of all of these players? Most honestly believe that this is a step to the pro's when in fact a small percentage actually make it. So the school makes the cash and kids who do not make the pro's or graduate go back to where ever they came from piss poor and get a min wage job.

BTW I also do not think kids should be payed but something is wrong with the schools getting all that money. They should have to make the kids complete the education or pay a penalty back or something.

 

[Irish7478]

Not to argue but what about the millions and millions of cash that the NCAA and these schools get due to TV contracts, advertising etc?

All to the school?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/19/sports/ncaafootball/nbc-and-notre-dame-extend-television-deal.html

ND gets annually 15 million from NBC. 15 million...53 active players per team (google search not sure if that is 100% correct.) That equates to 1 million per athlete. Of course someone has to pay the coaches etc...

Seems to me that is just a money maker for schools. Now I used ND cause I knew they had that NBC contract. I dont know how many others do.

What is the graduation rate of all of these players? Most honestly believe that this is a step to the pro's when in fact a small percentage actually make it. So the school makes the cash and kids who do not make the pro's or graduate go back to where ever they came from piss poor and get a min wage job.

BTW I also do not think kids should be payed but something is wrong with the schools getting all that money. They should have to make the kids complete the education or pay a penalty back or something.

If you only count revenues and not expenses, your results may be a little misleading. I don't think many schools run very profitable athletic operations. You can't use Texas, ND, Alabama, Ohio State, and Nebraska as an example as to how things are at Northern Illinois, Iowa State, Colorado State and the vast majority of other schools. And FYI, ND has about 83 on scholarship for this year.

 

[Tharvot]

No, the idea of student-athletes being paid is a really short sighted one.

First off, schools and the NCAA have difficulty policing student-athletes getting paid already. If you allow some payment, then you open the floodgates and make it even more difficult to police. Second, you open yourself up to some athletes getting paid a lot more than others. You think Johnny Football is going to get paid the same as the point guard for the Women's BB team? You think the school and the NCAA won't catch flak for that?

Its a really stupid notion and on top of that it doesn't fix any sort of problem that we already have with student athletes and benefits. In fact, it opens up a lot more potential problems. Overall, bad idea...not to mention the whole fact that free tuition is actually getting paid quite a bit, especially since many of the higher profile student athletes in major sports might not actually have gotten in to school w/o sports.

 

[Runeman]

The college athletes are already getting paid; they get trained to be professionals and some of them actually learn a few things which may or may not help them when they are knocking down several million/yr. Some of these college athletes are really stupid, however any exposure to kids who actually think for themselves is probably a good thing.

 

[Sportsguy9695]

Yet another college athlete says they should be paid

Former South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, expected to be a top-five pick in the NFL draft, said he might have stayed in school for another year if he were paid for being a college athlete.

"Yes. Having to take care of my family, it would have made a difference if I'd have gotten paid," Clowney said on "Jim Rome" on Showtime. "If I would have had the chance to take care of my family through college, I would have probably stayed in college."

Clowney, ranked as the No. 1 prospect by ESPN's Mel Kiper for May's draft despite being limited to three sacks and 11.5 tackles for a loss in his junior season, believes that college athletes should be compensated financially.

"I think so," Clowney said. "They are selling our jerseys with our numbers and making money off of ticket sales, so I think college athletes should get paid."

Source: ESPN

 

[ChicagoIrish]

What would he consider a free education?

 

[RoboticDreams]

I thought it was gonna say he was gay.

 

[BamaFanAlways]

Former South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, expected to be a top-five pick in the NFL draft, said he might have stayed in school for another year if he were paid for being a college athlete.

"Yes. Having to take care of my family, it would have made a difference if I'd have gotten paid," Clowney said on "Jim Rome" on Showtime. "If I would have had the chance to take care of my family through college, I would have probably stayed in college."

Clowney, ranked as the No. 1 prospect by ESPN's Mel Kiper for May's draft despite being limited to three sacks and 11.5 tackles for a loss in his junior season, believes that college athletes should be compensated financially.

"I think so," Clowney said. "They are selling our jerseys with our numbers and making money off of ticket sales, so I think college athletes should get paid."

Source: ESPN

I believe those jerseys belong to the team, as does the privilege of wearing them. Remember, that number had been worn by many before you, and will be worn after you're gone. If you didn't like the free tuition, room and board, books, etc, the coaching, diet and weight training, and the opportunity to advance yourself on to the professional sports landscape, maybe you should have just waited until you were old enough and tried to do it all by yourself.