College Athlete Compensation

[Mondio]

If I want to watch athletes being paid - I will watch the pros. This whole argument is ridiculous. AP is now a mult-imillionaire because of what college did for him.

I was a scholarship athlete for 4 years, and I cannot support college players getting paid. Coming out of high school at age 17 or 18 you are offered:

* Free room and board for 4 years;
* Free education for a lifetime;
* Free coaching;
* Free tutors;
* Free food if you eat what is provided;
* Free training in world class facilities;
* Free PR time every week where the world gets to know your name;
* A chance to play the sport you love;
* An opportunity to become rich and famous. Every week you are given the chance of a free interview with pro scouts who may recommend that you be paid millions to keep playing after college.

You know how many kids out of college will gladly accept internships where they will not be paid - just to have the chance to earn a good job down the road? These athletes are being given that same opportunity, with unbelievable benefits that nobody else gets. . Cry me a fucking river.

My sentiments exactly! I hate the argument they should be paid. They get more exposure and opportunity than any other person looking for a job. Multi billion dollar television contracts. stadiums filled with 50-100K fans, the best coaches, the best trainers, the best staffs, the best equipment, the best facilities and connections directly into a billion dollar industry.

The issue I do have is that most of that money being made should go right back to the university itself and the system overall. Jersey sales, video games, etc, all back to the university system, not a few rich old white guys.

But in no way do I think college athletes should be paid. no matter how much money the NCAA makes. If they feel like slaves, go the another league and prove yourself to get your professional job I wonder why we don't see many taking off for canada or the indoor league rather than the SEC or Big 10?

 

[Pariah]

I dont think they should be paid.

I dont have a problem with them selling their jerseys or autographs.

The NCAA needs to lighten up on that.

 

[charlie42s]

If I want to watch athletes being paid - I will watch the pros. This whole argument is ridiculous. AP is now a mult-imillionaire because of what college did for him.

I was a scholarship athlete for 4 years, and I cannot support college players getting paid. Coming out of high school at age 17 or 18 you are offered:

* Free room and board for 4 years;
* Free education for a lifetime;
* Free coaching;
* Free tutors;
* Free food if you eat what is provided;
* Free training in world class facilities;
* Free PR time every week where the world gets to know your name;
* A chance to play the sport you love;
* An opportunity to become rich and famous. Every week you are given the chance of a free interview with pro scouts who may recommend that you be paid millions to keep playing after college.

You know how many kids out of college will gladly accept internships where they will not be paid - just to have the chance to earn a good job down the road? These athletes are being given that same opportunity, with unbelievable benefits that nobody else gets. . Cry me a fucking river.

You left off the coeds who chase the players in the hope of marrying a future pro athlete. Sex!

 

[4down20]

You seriously think "higher quality students" are wanting to go to Alabama because of the football team

It's more dumbasses that belong at UNA, UAH or West Alabama applying to UAT these days

Reading comp not so easy?

More people wanting to go to the university means the university can be more selective in who is accepts. By being more selective in who it selects means the overall quality of the students themselves rises.

And it's not so much success of the football team directly as it is constant positive exposure.

After they are rejected they end up at Auburn probably.

 

[trojanfan12]

Reading comp not so easy?

More people wanting to go to the university means the university can be more selective in who is accepts. By being more selective in who it selects means the overall quality of the students themselves rises.

And it's not so much success of the football team directly as it is constant positive exposure.

After they are rejected they end up at Auburn probably.

I remember reading a study that was done quite awhile ago (no I'm not looking for the link) that showed there appears to be a pretty strong correlation between successful football and/or basketball programs and interest in attending a university. Bottom line, even if a student isn't particularly a sports fan, people want to be associated with a well-known, successful school. Folks like being associated with a winner.

 

[xpuctaqpGT]

I remember reading a study that was done quite awhile ago (no I'm not looking for the link) that showed there appears to be a pretty strong correlation between successful football and/or basketball programs and interest in attending a university. Bottom line, even if a student isn't particularly a sports fan, people want to be associated with a well-known, successful school. Folks like being associated with a winner.

I think I remember hearing that after the 1990 GT national championship, something like 2-3 times as many people applied for admissions the next year. Everybody does love a winner.

 

[bigred472]

. Cry me a fucking river.
^^^^^^^
I love that quote. The bigger problem was when the NCAA allowed the pros to "draft" the kids before they got their degrees. If the pros' think some 18 year old has the talent (in any sport) for that matter, draft them straight out of high school. Why should the college system have to act as the "minor leagues" for any college sport?

 

[trojanfan12]

Interesting Idea On How To Pay Players

I was watching Dan Patrick this morning as he interviewed former Notre Dame wide receiver and current Chicago Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija. He was asked about the unionization at Northwestern.

Basically he said that he isn't very familiar with all of the in's and out's of that particular situation, but that it could help towards compensation for players.

The idea he came up was basically this: Football careers tend to be much shorter than in any other sport. Because of this, he feels that they should be able to "cash in" sooner. The idea was that if a player is good enough to be drafted out of high school by an NFL team, he should be able to be drafted, but still play in college. Any bonus money could be deferred.

Obviously this is a very basic idea that if implemented would need to be thought out a lot farther and the many obvious potential issues addressed, but it seems a good place to start.

One thing I think would need to be addressed would be to maintain the "student" aspect of "student/athlete". Perhaps a stipulation that if a player is dismissed for academic and/or legal issues, the bonus money is returned back to the NFL team could be included. In fact, the bonus could be set up in a trust that is only payable when the player leaves college for the NFL or if he suffers a career ending injury while in college.

Thoughts?

 

[Wild Turkey]

1. I think NFL teams would have too much influence in College football to the point they would start dictating the coaches that were hired and the offenses that were run.

2. Obviously not every kid is going to get a deal so it could lead to division with a team. If one kid got a deal and another didn't but the one that didn't was more productive that is going to build a lot of resentment.

3. My guess would be that a lot of the kids that got deals would be too immature to handle the additional cash and it would be disastrous.

Really don't see much positive in the plan to be honest.

 

[mrwallace2ku]

When I hear the NCAAs M Emmert saying, "This will be the end of college sports as we know it..."

All I can smell is a rat.

I hope NorWest players have the balls to vote for union just to get the gears rolling on this issue alone. Once that is done, change will happen in some way thru balanced negotiations.

 

[TexasExes98]

This has disaster written all over it. First and foremost, there isn't and has never been one football player who was ready for the NFL out of high school. Not Earl Campbell, Bo Jackson, Herschel Walker, Adrian Peterson, etc, etc and so on who were ready. The NFL is a different kind of animal compared to the MLB, NHL and NBA. The majority of players who play CFB aren't even NFL material, so there is no need to pay them beforehand, since 95% will never see an NFL contract. Plus, just think about it if you pay these student/athletes thousands of dollars: there will be more partying and drug use than you have ever seen before. I would pay the regular student before I would pay student/athletes b/c the regular student will be contributing back to the school more than the college football player ever will when they contribute to the school's endowment after graduating, which is much more than what sports will ever bring in.

 

[TexasExes98]

On the other hand, I wouldn't have a problem of paying these football players if there was a stipulation that if you accept this "contract" of payment, you must attend all 4 or 5 years and graduate. You cannot declare early for the draft ever. If you do, the school can sue you for entire signing bonus if you leave early.

 

[HuskerinBig10]

Who pays the players? The NFL or the school?

Who pays the medical costs? If the football player gets hurt does the NFL sue the NCAA for damages?

This basically sets up schools as part of the single A, double A, and Triple A ball for baseball.

The more favored players would go to the 32 schools that are dubbed the Triple A of the NCAA by the NFL.

This basically removes the student from the student athlete.

I don't like the idea.

If a players is good enough for the NFL out of high school, then the NFL should draft him. Since males are mostly still physically maturing in high school and the first year of college, the NFL will never draft a high school player. No way a high school kid is going to make it in the NFL. The 30 year olds would eat him alive, beat him up good, and ruin him for life.

Lots of very good arguments as to why NOT to do it in the other posts also.

I like TexasExes suggestion of "here is the deal, but you are committed to four years of college football and four years of going to college classes and PASSING."

Make the players take part in National Spelling Bees, National Geography Bees, National Math Bees, and National Reading Bees. Broadcast on the Sports Networks, all to be done the first week of July.

If a player cannot read the word cat or spell the word spell, the player loses their scholarship and and cannot play that season. If a team has ten players that cannot read the word cat or spell the word spell, the team cannot participate for the National Championship.

Or make them take the Wonderlic on TV and show their actual test scores.

These will stop many schools of their selective education systems for their players.

 

[trojanfan12]

1. I think NFL teams would have too much influence in College football to the point they would start dictating the coaches that were hired and the offenses that were run.

2. Obviously not every kid is going to get a deal so it could lead to division with a team. If one kid got a deal and another didn't but the one that didn't was more productive that is going to build a lot of resentment.

3. My guess would be that a lot of the kids that got deals would be too immature to handle the additional cash and it would be disastrous.

Really don't see much positive in the plan to be honest.

1.) I thought about that too, but figured that one NFL team would have to be drafting several players that were attending the same college for them to start having that kind of influence. I would be more concerned with the NFL team telling the kid coming out of high school which college he has to attend.

2.) If we are to believe things like the "bagman" article, there are already kids getting deals that others aren't. Plus, the idea is that any signing bonus is deferred, so the kids wouldn't have access to the money until they were out of school.

3.) Again, the idea is to defer the money, so won't have access to it until they are out of school. Having the money deferred could actually influence kids to stay in school for 4 years and actually get their degree as there would be less concern re: their "payday".

This was just the beginning of the idea that Samardzija had. Obviously it would need a lot of work and in the end, you may be right and it may go nowhere. It's definitely unique compared to a lot of what's out there.

 

[trojanfan12]

On the other hand, I wouldn't have a problem of paying these football players if there was a stipulation that if you accept this "contract" of payment, you must attend all 4 or 5 years and graduate. You cannot declare early for the draft ever. If you do, the school can sue you for entire signing bonus if you leave early.

IF (obviously a huge if) the NCAA were to start having this type of discussion, something like you suggest might be where it ends up going. Or maybe some hybrid of the 2 ideas?

For example, the bonus is held in trust, but pays less if the kid declares early.

 

[trojanfan12]

Who pays the players? The NFL or the school?

The way that I understood it, the money comes from the NFL team, but is deferred until the player is out of school.

Who pays the medical costs? If the football player gets hurt does the NFL sue the NCAA for damages?

The school would be responsible for the medical costs while the player is in school. the agreement would have to be set up so that the school isn't liable if the player is hurt.

This basically sets up schools as part of the single A, double A, and Triple A ball for baseball.

The more favored players would go to the 32 schools that are dubbed the Triple A of the NCAA by the NFL.

The more favored players already go to those schools. Although, I would be concerned with the idea of a team telling a player that they must attend a specific school.


This basically removes the student from the student athlete.

I disagree. If part of the stipulation of receiving the money is academic, then it actually encourages the student part of student athlete.


I don't like the idea.

If a players is good enough for the NFL out of high school, then the NFL should draft him. Since males are mostly still physically maturing in high school and the first year of college, the NFL will never draft a high school player. No way a high school kid is going to make it in the NFL. The 30 year olds would eat him alive, beat him up good, and ruin him for life.

Players are not physically ready for the NFL out of high school, but you can tell which players are likely to become NFL ready. I remember seeing the CIF Championship Game several years ago when Tustin High School with DeShaun Foster at running back and Santa Margarita High School with Carson Palmer at quarterback played. It was extremely obvious in that game that those to had NFL futures. That is why the idea was that an NFL team could draft them, but they still go to college.


Lots of very good arguments as to why NOT to do it in the other posts also.

I agree, but think most of them could be addressed if this were actually ever seriously discussed.


I like TexasExes suggestion of "here is the deal, but you are committed to four years of college football and four years of going to college classes and PASSING."

I like that idea too.

Make the players take part in National Spelling Bees, National Geography Bees, National Math Bees, and National Reading Bees. Broadcast on the Sports Networks, all to be done the first week of July.

If a player cannot read the word cat or spell the word spell, the player loses their scholarship and and cannot play that season. If a team has ten players that cannot read the word cat or spell the word spell, the team cannot participate for the National Championship.

Or make them take the Wonderlic on TV and show their actual test scores.

These will stop many schools of their selective education systems for their players.

Not sure about National Spelling Bee's etc. But I agree that something needs to be addressed re: some of these guys leaving college and being practically illiterate.

 

[757Hokie83]

this might be a little too radical, but stay with me here....

i think, to compensate players, if they are good enough, and the school is willing to, they should let them attend that school for free!

 

[bigred472]

When I hear the NCAAs M Emmert saying, "This will be the end of college sports as we know it..."

All I can smell is a rat.

I hope NorWest players have the balls to vote for union just to get the gears rolling on this issue alone. Once that is done, change will happen in some way thru balanced negotiations.

-------
If a player is good enough to be drafted out of high school, let the NFL do so. As for the rest the NFL should keep it's nose out of college ball till the kids graduate. There are certain rules and guidlines the college players have to live by (like living in the dorms). Agree to it or don't go to college. This I/me/mine/bullshit is a little over the top coming from these kids.

 

[TexasExes98]

this might be a little too radical, but stay with me here....

i think, to compensate players, if they are good enough, and the school is willing to, they should let them attend that school for free!

Greatest idea ever.........oh wait

 

[Wild Turkey]

this might be a little too radical, but stay with me here....

i think, to compensate players, if they are good enough, and the school is willing to, they should let them attend that school for free!

It will never work you're dreaming.