Exploitation at its finest!

[Anotherwvufan]

Ok, let's say we go with your numbers. For an out of state student the bill is between $33 - 34,000 per year before any financial assistance kicks in. Let's say that the average student gets that knocked down between $6-8K. So now a football player who is already waived $12-16K per year times 4 ($48,000 - $64,000) now gets another $23,500/ year on top of that? All of these kids will be making $71,500 - $87,500 per year.If the kid rides the pine, he should get $23,500. All this for something that they know going to that program is already established (NCAA rules). If you want to take a chance and shoot for one of those NFL rosters, then go for it. If you don't make it, then it's a life lesson. Welcome to the real world. Check this out www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_wv.htm. Hard for me to justify paying a college player based off of what the University makes. God knows that they are making a killing off of me alone. Don't like it but I'm hoping my kid gets ahead of the game and is not down there eating the books, as my Dad would say. If you want them to have the same opportunities as the avg student, I'm for it. I already know that they are compensated in other ways.

The numbers I cited were what if 1/2 of the Head Coaches salary went to the players. As you showed, that would make them above average income for the state and add in tuition and they are very well paid. Most of the kids who ride the pine have to spend as much time as the starters. My point is that the players are a big part of the University's success and their economic value to the school is well beyond what they pay in tuition and stipends. Add that to the fact that many of these players will carry injuries with them throughout their life. Football is a dangerous violent sport. CFB has a monopoly as the only stepping stone to the NFL. A good baseball player has a choice to sign a contract out of high school or forego pay and get a college education. Football players do not have this option.

One way to look at this issue is to see the trend of athletes turning pro while still having eligibility. That number has been steadily increasing. If scholarships were a good deal to them, they would stay. Here's the list of 2016 NFL Draft early entries, with Ohio State and Clemson sending the most

 

[mad2mc]

The numbers I cited were what if 1/2 of the Head Coaches salary went to the players. As you showed, that would make them above average income for the state and add in tuition and they are very well paid. Most of the kids who ride the pine have to spend as much time as the starters. My point is that the players are a big part of the University's success and their economic value to the school is well beyond what they pay in tuition and stipends. Add that to the fact that many of these players will carry injuries with them throughout their life. Football is a dangerous violent sport. CFB has a monopoly as the only stepping stone to the NFL. A good baseball player has a choice to sign a contract out of high school or forego pay and get a college education. Football players do not have this option.

One way to look at this issue is to see the trend of athletes turning pro while still having eligibility. That number has been steadily increasing. If scholarships were a good deal to them, they would stay. Here's the list of 2016 NFL Draft early entries, with Ohio State and Clemson sending the most

I agree with almost everything you have posted except I cannot get over the notion of paying these guys. Loosening the rules, yes to a certain extent. For me, paying a role player, who is not the face of the team, as much as the face of the team does not make sense. Saying that they could get hurt or carry injuries from playing college ball does not carry too much weight. It's the asshole in me. My Dad, exmilitary, use to say we all make choices that we have to live with. Kids could have gotten hurt in pee-wee ball all the way up through. If you decide to take your talents to the next level, then at each level there is somebody who will be just as good or better than you. At each level of playing ball, your chances of injuries increase. You made that choice. I'd rather see more effort go into compensating Veterans, if I had to make a choice. These college kids aren't being shot at or come back not the same as they went in. What do they get? A medal, a thank you, and medical service that is as f'd up as anything imaginable. Maybe college ball players should insure theirself against injuries, although I haven't heard of any insurance companies who do that sort of thing. So much for a kids game.

I read an article that said only 23 of the D-1 schools are making money in their big time sports. How would you level the playing field?

 

[DCWV4life]

One way to look at this issue is to see the trend of athletes turning pro while still having eligibility. That number has been steadily increasing. If scholarships were a good deal to them, they would stay. Here's the list of 2016 NFL Draft early entries, with Ohio State and Clemson sending the most

If we ever get to the point were a scholly and going pro can be comparable, I will quit watching the game. MAD's last post is about where I stand on the subject.

 

[Anotherwvufan]

I read an article that said only 23 of the D-1 schools are making money in their big time sports. How would you level the playing field?

Tough question. There a few solutions. Bernie Sanders may say "If you can pay your coach 4 Million Dollars per year, you can certainly throw a couple of million into paying the players." I don't really advocate having schools pay as it makes them employees which opens up a whole new can of worms.

If I had a voice, I would allow players to make money advertising, licensing of apparel (Nike), licensing for video games. You could even put a cap on what each player can make. Instead of paying players under the table, boosters could legally hire them to pitch their businesses. This is a simple solution to get some money into the pockets of the players. With some alleviation of the financial issues, I would expect more players to play out their 4 years.

Comparing football to military service shows your age. I have two nephews who enlisted so they could get the college benefits. They had a choice, they were not drafted. They were great athletes, but did not work at it or train hard to earn a scholarship. One works in medical and one repairs radios. If they get injured, they get medical benefits for life. And best of all, they get paid.


If we ever get to the point were a scholly and going pro can be comparable, I will quit watching the game.

DC you may want to quit watching now. What do you think a scholly to Alabama or Florida State means these days?

 

[mad2mc]

Tough question. There a few solutions. Bernie Sanders may say "If you can pay your coach 4 Million Dollars per year, you can certainly throw a couple of million into paying the players." I don't really advocate having schools pay as it makes them employees which opens up a whole new can of worms.

If I had a voice, I would allow players to make money advertising, licensing of apparel (Nike), licensing for video games. You could even put a cap on what each player can make. Instead of paying players under the table, boosters could legally hire them to pitch their businesses. This is a simple solution to get some money into the pockets of the players. With some alleviation of the financial issues, I would expect more players to play out their 4 years.

Comparing football to military service shows your age. I have two nephews who enlisted so they could get the college benefits. They had a choice, they were not drafted. They were great athletes, but did not work at it or train hard to earn a scholarship. One works in medical and one repairs radios. If they get injured, they get medical benefits for life. And best of all, they get paid.

As far as Bernie, I'm still trying to figure out this free college business, but anyways. And dammit, I didn't mean to give a clue to my age.

My youngest son was thinking about joining and have his education paid for like his roommate is doing. My wife nixed that thought. As I hope that this does not happen to your nephews, when they signed their name on the dotted line, they belonged to the military. They have committed to a branch of the military and are exchanging their talents and service for an free education, medical, and other benefits, while knowing at any time the game could change. Kind of like being on scholarship with the best military in the world.

I don't think there will ever be a time that a scholarship will equate to going pro. There isn't enough NFL slots compared to all the scholarships.

 

[Slaton10]

I agree with almost everything you have posted except I cannot get over the notion of paying these guys. Loosening the rules, yes to a certain extent. For me, paying a role player, who is not the face of the team, as much as the face of the team does not make sense. Saying that they could get hurt or carry injuries from playing college ball does not carry too much weight. It's the asshole in me. My Dad, exmilitary, use to say we all make choices that we have to live with. Kids could have gotten hurt in pee-wee ball all the way up through. If you decide to take your talents to the next level, then at each level there is somebody who will be just as good or better than you. At each level of playing ball, your chances of injuries increase. You made that choice. I'd rather see more effort go into compensating Veterans, if I had to make a choice. These college kids aren't being shot at or come back not the same as they went in. What do they get? A medal, a thank you, and medical service that is as f'd up as anything imaginable. Maybe college ball players should insure theirself against injuries, although I haven't heard of any insurance companies who do that sort of thing. So much for a kids game.

I read an article that said only 23 of the D-1 schools are making money in their big time sports. How would you level the playing field?

The stipend has to be the same for all scholarship athletes...if you uneven the playing field you risk major transfer issues...

 

[mad2mc]

The stipend has to be the same for all scholarship athletes...if you uneven the playing field you risk major transfer issues...

You think 'Bama is strong now....