We've heard the arguments a million times. Football players make schools a ton of money and should be able to reap some of the rewards. Players are risking permanent injury by playing for free. Players are being used.
Blah blah blah.
Apparently, the gift of a free education is not considered enough anymore. Fine. But it's not just that five-year full ride the players get. It's all of the other stuff.
Free food. Any of you naysayers want to pony up the dough to feed an offensive lineman for a week? And it has to be healthy too. That's at least 500 bucks a month.
Free insurance. It costs approximately 400 bucks a month per person for decent insurance. Multiply that by 85 scholarshipped players...per month. Gulp.
Free publicity. Just how much is it worth to have ESPN talk about your team every week? To show your mug? Your stats? Think an agent can do better? For free?
Parental mentoring. Some of these players come from single-mom households, with no paternal influence in their life. How much is finally having a father-figure in your life worth?
Housing allowance. I know a few hundred thousand families who foreclosed on their homes might be thinking you got it pretty sweet. Live in a dorm and it's free. Act spoiled and want to live on your own? You still get a monthly stipend/allowance for that.
Free travel. I wonder how many kids who live in a small town ever will have the chance again to travel to California, Florida, Hawai'i or other beautiful spots. For free.
Travel costs. Ding, ding, ding. This is a killer, even for big programs. The cost for buying food, hotel rooms and such is a nightmare for teams on the road. The players never have to look at a bill. The school eats it all up.
The bill for Ohio State's trip to Los Angeles was $346,000. Over 24k was due to fuel surcharges. With most commercial airlines dinging you for a second bag and excessive weight, can anyone even imagine what those charges were? All that equipment? All that excess weight? Ohio State had to charter two planes. One was not enough.
The cost for NCAA football teams to travel for the '07-'08 season was 42.6 million dollars. Grasp that. Just for travel.
Universities and colleges spent over 42 mil to pay for players who, except for an elite couple hundred, will never set foot on the gridiron again. And they want to get paid???
Don't they get enough already? Can we stop future Divas-in-the-making now?
Only a small percentage of all active players actually make it in the NFL. Why should a perennial third stringer get paid to sit on a bench? Should Matt Cassel have been paid while at USC? He never started a game but is now starting QB for the Pats.
Maybe, just maybe, these student-athletes could cut down their expenses a bit. Maybe stop buying iphones, ipods, laptops, diamond studs, Sirius radio, GPS devices and expensive cars.
Stop paying for $5 beers at nightclubs and then getting into trouble which may require the school to hire you a $350 dollar an hour lawyer to defend you in a civil suit.
Study, instead of paying tutors to do your work for you.
Last time I checked, the student came before athlete. Student-athlete.
Respect that. And get that degree. Ask Gino Torretta or Jason White how important that is—two Heisman winners who actually had to go out into the real world and get real jobs.
Players need to start showing up and playing and instead of thinking they can coast through the games and land an NFL gig. The odds are against you.
Whether you make it there or not, make sure and send a thank you note to the school who gave you unlimited opportunities. A school that spent at least a million on you, the bench warmer, to represent the school. They are already paying you.
Don't stare a gift horse in the mouth. Just keep your mouth shut, study, and play.
73 comments Last one added 8 months ago — Leave a Comment
Joe G 9 months ago
Great article, and you made some excellent points here. These athletes probably don't realize just how much cash that universities are already throwing at them.
The Spartan Marching Band went down to Ohio State last year...food, buses and hotel rooms for 300+ people don't come cheap, and we don't travel nearly as well as the football team does. That trip still cost over 30 grand. That's more than a lot of people make in a year. Teams spend many times that amount each weekend.
Look at the world class facilities these players have access too as well. Weight rooms, pools, personal trainers...all free for them. Hundreds of dollars a month if any of us want a piece of that action.
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Amen Joe...you know the cost of sponsoring a student. Enough of this Diva stuff going on. :)
Edit Comment Cancel
Joe G 9 months ago
I don't MIND "sponsoring" an athlete with my tuition because of the money and publicity that they bring to the university, but I do think that my dollars are being used to give them plenty of help without just handing them a wad of cash.
And there are plenty of boosters giving these guys nice things as well, too. A state-of-the art $15 million addition to the football building while I'm sitting in a run-down music building that's been around since the 1940s.
Edit Comment Cancel
Jim Sheridan 9 months ago
Wow Lisa, I was always one that said that they should be paid. But after reading your article I have to say that Im on the fence now. You brought up some great points that I had never thought of before. Another outstanding job!!!!!
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Jim-
Thanks! I do see some points on the other side, but overall, I think the players should shut and play or sit and wait 3 years after high school graduation. Let's just see who made the better decision. The guy who went to college, or the guy who sits at home trying to find a job in this horrible economy with a high school degree.
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
By the way...nice win over Stanford! :) They are pesky, aren't they?
Edit Comment Cancel
Kyle Jensen 9 months ago
I just had a conversation on this topic with a couple of friends last night (alcohol may have been involved as well). I brought up some of these points, like the free food and free trips. They might make the money for the school if you will, but the schools definitely take care of them to say the least. Anyway, love the article, glad someone finally put it into a great article!!
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Kyle, thanks and debates where alcohol is involved are usually the best! :p
Edit Comment Cancel
Scott Pusich 9 months ago
As long as they're students, they shouldn't be paid. Now, if there were a "minor-league" football system similar to that in baseball, there would be an option for players who didn't want the education... but the college system functions as that.
Those who leave school early to turn pro are short-changing themselves on the education part, which is understandable--the serious ones will come back during off-season to eventually get their degrees. But the majority of college athletes will go "professional" not in a sport, but in another job (as the public service announcement says) and so the value of a college education should not be underestimated. It's not direct payment, but it's worth quite a bit.
I think, though, that it's only at the top of the college sports "pyramid" that things end up being this distorted--in terms of the importance of the athletic department's facilities vis-a-vis the college's academic facilities, the pressure of alumni, the salaries of the coaches, the TV exposure, and in general, the glorification of the "athlete" at the expense of the "student". That probably won't go away, but actually paying the athletes for play, and not for study, would effectively end any reason for association with the university; they could be called semi-professionals at that point.
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Excellent points Scott. But here's something to consider....the Olympics are supposed to be amateur competition. Why are our Volleyball, Hockey and Basketball teams professionals?
I like your-minor league idea, but here's the thing...no player will go for it because they would not get the pub they get by playing on Saturdays. That NCAA pub is worth more than these players ever realize...it's worth millions.
Edit Comment Cancel
Scott Pusich 9 months ago
Yes, Lisa, the Olympics is another sticking point with me. In many sports (and for many countries) the highest achievement is to win a medal at the Olympics--and for those sports in which it is not, the IOC seems to have given up on the *amateur* principle that was at the base of the modern Olympic movement.
Most likely it's been done in order to attract the flies... uh, the major television networks... to the Games, and with high-profile NBA, NHL, tennis, soccer, and volleyball stars the networks will bid higher amounts, and thus charge advertisers more, etc. Of course, during the Cold War, most of the Soviet-bloc teams were amateurs in name only, so there are different ways to be corrupted... :-/
You're right about the current college football setup. I wasn't arguing for minor league football, so much as pointing out what you did, that the student-athletes--those who are on athletic scholarships, anyway--get compensated in many non-financial ways, which do have a dollar value.
Football (and to a lesser extent basketball as well) at the top of the college pyramid is a world apart from baseball and most other sports on college campuses, and you're also right about the publicity--the top athletes at the top programs are student-celebrities as much as they're student-athletes.
What would you say to revenue sharing (with FCS, if not Div II and III?), though? I know the B(C)S conferences would never want to share the booty they rake in each year.
Edit Comment Cancel
Mitch at sportschatplace.com 9 months ago
Agree on some points and not so much on others. I absolutely 100% disagree with the entire travel thing. the schools schedule these road trips, not the kids. What financial responsibility should be on them for this?
I agree on the education and the cost of it, that's a whole different story, even the food, housing, etc.
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Mitch-
If the schools don't travel out of conference, there's no accurate way to rank a team. I mean, you could say the Sun Belt is the most competitive conference because only one or two teams have winning conference records. So how do we know how good they are? They play SEC teams, who expose the clear difference in play level. It's a way to gauge how good a team is.
There's also the recruiting aspect. This is free publicity for the athletes. If you play only regional games, a lot of athletes don't get the exposure. Look at Hawai'i. Not until Colt Brennan got some prime-time coverage did his stock go up on the East Coast. Basically, when Hawai'i played their games, the East Coast was in bed (10PM EST), and voters could only read about his stats.
Finally, it's a way for smaller schools to get extra income to be other schools punching bags. The small schools that play the elite teams get anywhere from 250k to 500k per game. That's huge for some of these schools.
Edit Comment Cancel
Mitch at sportschatplace.com 9 months ago
I look at the polls and I still don't think people watch the games or even look at the scores or box scores. Please explain to me how Clemson got back into the rankings or remained ranked this season until the beat down last week? They got run over by Bama and beat some 1-AA teams (i still don't know the fcs or fbs but i know playing alcorn state and the like is b.s.) so they're ranked, ahead of some pretty decent teams including VT and Michigan State. If the NCAA or the SCHOOLS really cared about that sort of stuff they would have a playoff, they don't so they only care about themselves. they could care less about deciding which team is better than which.
They claim the bowls are to reward teams for a good season, 6-6 makes a bowl and if you lose you are 6-7, is this part of that travel expense? watching the meaningless New Mexico Bowl isn't rewarding to the fans who are left to foot the bill. Since the schools are just yes men (i changed the word here for the sake of the thin skinned bleacher readers) to the corporations why don't the schools just get corporate sponsors?
Edit Comment Cancel
Scott Pusich 9 months ago
miami, actually most schools are already doing that... i remember when the athletic logos were either not as prominent, or forbidden... that's not the case any longer. Unfortunately, I know that this is not going to change--if anything, college sport will become even *more* commercialized, not less.
Also, certain schools will sign exclusive contracts with either Coke or Pepsi so that the campus vending machines (and stadium concessions) will have *only* one or the other. Again, it used to be different--it used to be easy to get both Coke and Pepsi on campus, now it's one or the other.
FBS football *has* become a vehicle for corporate marketing... the corporate naming "rights" for the bowls (and conference championship games) is just another indication of that. And in return for going to the bowls, the athletic departments will usually have to foot the bill for the travel expenses of the team and staff (coaches, band, cheerleaders, and *cough* administrators). Again, they'll often end up in the red, but they would consider it a marketing expense--a way to market the college to prospective customers... uh, students. ;-)
Edit Comment Cancel
Gray Ghost 9 months ago
Great read. Center-field outta da park! Excellent points. *****POTD
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Thanks GG. :)
Edit Comment Cancel
Eric Quackenbush 9 months ago
For one thing miamimitch, the students aren't paying for travel--the schools are. If I mistook your comment then my apology.
Great article as always Lisa, and I really agree with all your points. Education before entertainment. What are these guys going to do after they retire from the NFL at the mid-30's age (if they're lucky for their career to go that long; if they're fortunate to even play in the NFL)? Get your degree and stop whining!
Another point I will make is, Joe Paterno said in response to a question, players should get $50 a month to go out with their friends for pizza--I can agree with that much. Otherwise, they're gettin a free ride, and they want to get paid? Talk about having your cake and eating it too! Get real! Shut up, and play!
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Thanks Eric! I like Joe Pa.
I'm not sure how the extra pizza funds would work out.
I know their food stipend is to be used at the training tables- the food is specifically geared towards different players.
Not sure a school would sponsor 5 pizzas a month for an O-lineman. That's saying, "here, eat crap." LOL. I maintain this- if they have enough for ipods and cell phones, then they can buy their own pizza.
Edit Comment Cancel
Eric Quackenbush 9 months ago
I totally agree; I was just amused by a quote from Joe Pa, which must have been from a good while ago.
Edit Comment Cancel
Long John Silver 9 months ago
HMMM - Sam Jackson - Coach Carter, exact words
Last time I checked, the student came before athlete. Student-athlete.
- Here is something of a numerical perspective
Lets say, I know a wolverine earns as much as I get for a research assistanship (30%) per month, around 1,500 bucks
I perfectly understand your viewpoint of - coming from the athlete's side, they should be more responsible, that I have no problems with
but if you think about it from UM's side, all the benefits you mentioned above counter argues your very core
if UM is gonna spend - say (arbitrary) 70,000 bucks per year on someone. Is paying them another whatever, 6,000 bucks - really worth thinking about.
At best - infinitesimal, am sure the math wont work out like you said
I dont think youa re right - but thats my persp
So - I am afraid we have to agree to disagree on this one Lise
Edit Comment Cancel
Long John Silver 9 months ago
if you introduce another option in your poll - both those options have a negative undertone to em (its almost like you are angry)
shut up and play
they are taking adv of
- try another option -
is it worth arguing
and we shall see how the results turn out)
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
I used the "they are being taken advantage of" because that's pretty much the argument we hear out here...that the schools are profiting off the athlete!
It's OK we disagree. I still love ya!
Edit Comment Cancel
Long John Silver 9 months ago
OFCOURSE .... thats what sport is all about, same and different persp
cheers -
Edit Comment Cancel
Long John Silver 9 months ago
cant believe stupid Illi - whooped us at the House !
sighhhhhh
Edit Comment Cancel
Justin Goar 9 months ago
this is well put together lise, good stuff, POTD.
it's not a clear cut issue for me. i see both sides and struggle with both. i just think paying players is a pandora's box.
i'm currently watching your trojans, down 7-3 i think they'll turn it around. oregon's not gonna have the offense to hang around for two halves. of course i'm flipping btwn that and vandy-AU. also tenn is tied with northern illinois. is the state of tennessee beyondo world????? food for thought.
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Vandy rocks my world...I love seeing the dog win. Tennessee, well, hey, all teams have "one of those years." USC is stopping the run now....hubby was wearing a green shirt and green cargo shorts...WTF????? He changed clothes, and the momentum has turned.
Edit Comment Cancel
Chris Plouffe 9 months ago
These were the same kind of arguments put forth by owners (especially in the NHL) back in the day before collective bargaining when they would say "look how much we do for you, why should we pay you so much to play a game that many other people would do for free."
The NCAA is a cash cow and the football portion of it makes so much money that it is a travesty that these players do not get any money. I'm not saying it should be a significant amount, but they should always have enough to live comfortably as students.
It is special that they get their school paid for, but the fact that they cant even get 20 bucks from a booster or coach is a joke.
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
So, you think they aren't living comfortably?
Why should the players get money? Their status dictates they can't get paid. They are amateurs. It's illegal, even though I am certain they get "gifts."
Edit Comment Cancel
Chris Plouffe 9 months ago
Gifts should matter though because really, they are not allowed and sometimes cracked down on.
Now, lets compare this to someone who is at a university on an academic or a music scholarship. All of them are getting everything paid for, but if someone is so smart that they can use it to make money (and in turn represent their school), then I'm sure the school would be hands down all for it.
If the NCAA is a billion (or at least multi-million) corporation, then how are these players not making some kind of that share?? They are the reasons the NCAA makes so much money, and although they shouldn't be making the kind of "diva" money you brought up, they should at least have a few thousand a year to live comfortably. Stories of some players not having enough money at the end of the semester for dinner is terrible, and ya it's student life (I remember whether to buy a 24 or eat dinner all week, cause I could only afford one or the other), but they shouldn't have to worry about that since they can really hurt themselves and lose out on much more money, and because of what they provide in terms of prestige and marketing for their school.
Anyways, its a good argument and something the stingy NCAA will likely never change.
Edit Comment Cancel
Steven Resnick 9 months ago
Last year I wrote an essay on why college athletes shouldn't be paid. It doesn't matter if they are plaing baseball, basketball, football, hockey, etc......There's too many things wrong with it to begin with it. The definition of a pro athlete is to be paid for their services. There are funds directly benefitting needy athletes that include clothing, emergency travel, educational and medical expenses. There are also funds for any athlete that allow for an array of personal needs and the NCAA also spends 10 million dollars on catastrophic-injury insurance. There's a student opportunity fund which was established in 2003 and it's avaliable to all athletes. It doesn't matter if the athlete no longer plays due to injury either. The fund can be used for traveling home, computers, other school supplies, clothing, medical expenses for spouses or dependents, summer school, degree-completion programs, and professional development.
So, really does it make sense to pay a college athlete? No. They have funds avaliable to them and keep in mind the scholarship is pretty sweet itself. Who decides what to pay each athlete? Do the smaller schools get a cut? Do the bigger schools get more money and how do they decide what each athlete gets? Will it be a standard amount, will it include incentives? There's just too many questions. It also would be a bad thing because what happens to professional athletes after being paid is once that happens the passion and excitement is gone unless it's a big game. I agree college athletes should not be paid, when they pretty much already are being paid in the form of funds and scholarships.
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Steven-
You raise a very good point. Do bigger schools pay more? And, if I might add, doesn't that add more incentive for a recruit to sign with them if they do?
You made your best point when you said, they play for the passion and excitement. I couldn't agree more. It's what makes CFB so exciting. Thanks for your input. I agree completely.
Edit Comment Cancel
Andrew Stephan 9 months ago
I totally agree that college athletes shouldn't be paid; they get enough benefits from the schools. However, I disagree the idea that college athletes should for some reason be thankful to these schools. Their relationship with the school is symbiotic, they both benefit each other. Athletes help bring in valuable revenue for their schools that is usually much more than what the schools spend. If the schools could not make a lot of money off of them, there is almost no way that they would sponsor athletes to this extent. I do also agree that these athletes have to stop purchasing expensive luxury items, but it would probably happen if the schools did not enable them.
Edit Comment Cancel
Andrew Stephan 9 months ago
By the way, I think this is the second time that I've posted a pretty argumentative comment on one of your articles and I don't want you to think I'm a jerk. I just think that we tend to have very different views on the way the world works.
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
A-
On the contrary, I welcome diverse opinions, especially when ou present one that has good points. But in essence, you agree, they should not be paid.
Edit Comment Cancel
Cody Blubaugh 9 months ago
The one question I have always asked is "where would the money come from?" Schools would have to start pulling money from scholarly related programs, and to me it would most definitely be the death of smaller programs. There is such a small percentage of universities that even profit from their athletic programs, that I just don't see it being feesable in most cases.
Edit Comment Cancel
Bert Hancock 9 months ago
Lise, yes! I'm so glad to hear such straight talk AGAINST the grain of the standard feel-sorry mentality I keep reading over the years.
You frankly sound like me in my own arguments on this subject. It's one I've even reached avoidance (at times) on, due to frustration.
Again, very well said and fully agree.
Edit Comment Cancel
Eric Gomez 9 months ago
They're amateurs, for God's sake.
Case closed, argument over. Why people need to be beaten over the head with this is beyond me.
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Eric-
You are officially my new hero.....you said it in two sentences or less. Run for President, I'll be your Sarah.
Edit Comment Cancel
Eric Gomez 9 months ago
Say it ain't so, Joe.
Edit Comment Cancel
Tim Seeman 9 months ago
HAHA
Edit Comment Cancel
Raj Kamruddin 9 months ago
Too bad there arent trade schools for athletes. You want to play sports but dont want to get an education. That would be perfect. I didnt get any type of scholarship. Went to a small catholic college. (Lewis University ) Had to pay all the tuition roughly $1200 per course for 4 1/2 years.
Athletes should be happy with the free education. IF they dont like it, try paying for the tuition without scholarships. Not so much fun. Or even better, dont get an education, see if you can make it on talent to NFL. Those who dont will end up with no skills or education to survive in the real world. How many universities would take students with borderline test scores if they had no atheltic abilites? Without their skills they wouldtn get an education. Who needs whom more? The student athlete looking to get into college, or the college looking to make money from the athlete? I think the college could survive better than the athlete.
Not every CFB player makes it to NFL. Shoud we pay all of them? Should we pay all college athletes? Are they worth more than the professors that teach? Would you unionize the players in college? The thought of paying college athletes makes me sick, and a serious debate would make me dislike college sports, so I will end now and go to bed.
Sorry If I rambled and dont make sense. My cubs got swept and Im drunk tonight. Damn my cursed Cubbies... Damn them!
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
The majority don't make it to the NFL, and that's why I don't think this pay for play idea is good. They are getting paid- via housing, food, and education. Sorry about your Cubbies, but ND won!
Edit Comment Cancel
BabyTate 9 months ago
It's a complicated issue.
Glad you set about to tackle it.
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Thanks BT.
Edit Comment Cancel
Michael Collins 9 months ago
The issue has been tackled here before - in more depth.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/29981-counterpoint-a-scholarship-is-more-than-enough-for-college-athletes
Boyce Watkins response to my article: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/36519-a-scholarship-is-nice-but-college-athletes-should-still-be-paid
She adds her opinion statements and some travel cost facts. But compare articles.
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Thanks for the added articles Michael.
Edit Comment Cancel
Jonny Solovy 9 months ago
great article lisa! i agree with you on most of it and i think that players being paid would ruin college football because we would have a bunch of primadonna's out there like the nfl has. I enjoy all college sports more except i love major league baseball the most...but college football is way better than the nfl...college basketball way way better than nba....and a big reason is how they play the game...like we would want them to, not how a millionaire plays unconcerned with anything. my only problem is agents. outside agents like the one in the reggie bush case are horrible for the game and until the ncaa has people monitoring situations or throwing these jerk agents in jail for years...problems will continue. enjoyed it lisa
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Jon-
Agents are a problem, especially in a media market such as Los Angeles. A coach cannot forbid an agent from attending the game. Throw some 7 figure numbers at a kid and it's hard to resist.
Thanks.
Edit Comment Cancel
Conrad Krasyk 9 months ago
Lisa,
I think first of all the one problem here is that it is not a complete free ride. Second athletes by NCAA rules are NOT ALLOWED ANY STIPENS of any kind. Unlike the other students they cannot hold a job during the school year so if they would like to take a girl out on a date many simply can not. Like you said many come from single parent homes that have very little or next no extra money. I was lucky though my parents could help me while I was in school. Do I feel they should be played no. But give them the same opportunity to enjoy all of college. Oh by the way unlike the other students if a player in any sport gets into trouble they can not call their coach for help. So i suggest before you go spouting off get all your facts straight. I should know I was on an athletic scholorship and believe me it fell very short of meeting all my school needs not just any extra money I might need for things such as, toothpaste, shampoo, etc, etc.... So think before speak maybe then you get it right and not look so misinformed.
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Conrad-
Re- stipends. At USC I believe the stipend or allowance is around 750 a month. In fact, the argument has been raised that the stipend/allowance should be increased at schools due to rising costs.
Regarding dates....so are you suggesting the school pay for THAT too? The athlete isn't FORCED to take a scholarship, Conrad. Nobody is forcing him to go to college! This is the sense of entitlement argument I don't like.
Most students DO STRUGGLE to make ends meet. But the student athlete can take summer jobs and save up the money for his fun money during the actual time he is in school.
Edit Comment Cancel
C. J. Krasyk 9 months ago
Lisa,
If you are a student athlete there is no such thing as a summer job. Most summers are consumed with work out programs, off season workouts, summer classes and in some cases some players have surgery to repair injuries. So that is no where near a valid argument. I don't believe that players should be paid but with all they are asked to do for their school and sport plus class work it hard to argue that a scholarship is equal to all they are required to do.
You are right about not being forced to take the scholarship but for a lot of athletes that is their only shot at going to school and making a better life for them and their families.
Edit Comment Cancel
Steven Resnick 9 months ago
Although, it's just not football that the voice of should they pay these athletes. If these athletes were being paid would they even care anymore about winning if they already are being paid? Of course it wouldn't be as much as the pros. When UCLA beat Gonzaga in the NCAA tournament Adam Morrison is quoted as saying "That's just a sign of a great program and great people. They had enough guts as a man in their moment of victory to pick another man up off the floor. That's more than basketball and I would thank them if I could." A lot of people have the picture of Adam Morrison crying after Gonzaga lost to UCLA after blowing the lead. If the athletes are being paid do you lose the sportsmanship as well? Does after winning a championship give a bonus as well?
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Indeed interesting questions. If football could be a pay-for-play, what next?
And yes, the passion would go out, IMO. Watch an Army-Navy game to get a clear picture of amateur athletics in its finest form. :)
Edit Comment Cancel
ecdawg 9 months ago
I thought the article was harsh.There are a few like Maurice Clarette who just want a paycheck. The majority of those who deserve disposable income from the schools are poor kids who arrive at a university with few if any of the financial resources of their contemporaries on campus. There are no "gifts" involved in the relationship (There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch). It is not unheard of for a school to revoke the "gift" when a better, for the school, prospect comes along (Ray Ray McElrathbey).
Why should an athlete be who is working his way through UGA as a third string football player not have disposable income as part of the bargain? Do we not invite booster abuses when we keep them impoverished? An amount that represents some percentage of the average spending money available to the average student from a two-income suburban family would be nice. Base it on need. Mark Richt's kid at Clemson should not qualify. Ray Ray should.
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Greg-
Sorry if it appeared harsh, but let me ask you this: what chance did the "poor kid" have of getting a free education? If his grades were excellent, probably good. But most of the football players don't have high GPAs, except for some exceptional schools such as ND, Vandy, Stanford, Cal and service academies.
Why does money supercede everything? Why must any reward be in money? Go back 25 years...a free college education was the ultimate prize for any football player. It still should be. Just because greed is predominant doesn't mean you still have to cater to it.
You asked why a 3rd stringer at Uga should not have disposable income as part of the bargain? The answer is simple. He is an amateur. He is a student-athlete. If he doesn't want the free education, then he can get a job after high school graduation, wait three years and then play semi-pro. Or pro.
Which scenario do you think gets him a better job prospect in the pros? Which scenario gives him a better opportunity for ANY job opp? High school degree or college degree?
Have we forgotten that these kids are there for an education? The percentage of football players getting drafted is 2%. TWO PERCENT.
The other 98% will have college degrees, if they stick it out. Now, how big of a gift is that? Being given the opportunity to get a degree when the end of the line for football is in college?
You want college football players to be paid to play when the NFL doesn't think 98% of them deserve to get paid?
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
I forgot to answer your question of "Do we not invite booster abuses when we keep them impoverished?"
"Keep them impoverished?" The school is enriching them.
What is the key to escaping poverty? Getting a decent job to cover your standard of living. How do you get a decent paying job? Higher education.
No one is keep them impoverished. A school is giving them the tools to escape poverty, but is asking the student-athlete to work for it. That seems to be the problem, as I see it.
Instead of working for something, many feel these kids should be paid. They are not entitled to it as student-athletes. If they don't like it, then don't sign on signing day. It's pretty simple.
Booster abuses are not just towards the "poor kids." There have been many accusations of booster/supporter abuse for players from middle-to-upper income families.
Edit Comment Cancel
Chris Schmidbauer 9 months ago
I can attest to this first hand. When I was a manager for Ohio State, we traveled to Tempe three times in five seasons. Each time we stayed at the Scottsdale Princess Resort for two weeks. My hotel room, and mind you I was just a student manager, was bigger than the two bedroom apartment I am in now. It was a five star resort. Not only that but we had meals every night, including three dinners as the best restaurants in the area. We had a hospitality room that gave us any amount of Frito Lay product as well as Pepsi products. Plus we got spending per diem for any meal that didnt cover us. The players got more than I did, and I thought what I got was over kill. I agree with the notion that college football, especially at OSU is a cash cow, but I have been on the other side of this. I know that outside of a salary, Ohio State football players get everything a pro football player would get and maybe more. Don't ever feel sorry for these guys, and think they are poor students.
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Chris-
Wow....I think that was a major plug for OSU...heck, you should send this out to every recruit! Sign me up coach! :)
You were treated very well, and I fully expect big schools to treat their athletes that way. USC stays at the Holiday Inn in Michigan City, Indiana for the ND games, because Chicago is just too far away from South Bend. It's a familair place for the players, but they don't get that five star treatment although I have to tell you, the food they eat is unbelievable.
When Michigan came out for the Rose Bowl, I beleive they stayed in Newport Beach...at least the last two times they have been here. That's a steep price to pay for lodging and it's a solid hour and half from Pasadena. I guess those Big Ten schools really treat their players right!
Edit Comment Cancel
Chris Schmidbauer 9 months ago
The food is always great, and not every hotel we stayed at was a five star resort. But it is amazing the perks that come with being a scholarship player. Another thing that flies under the radar is the bowl gifts teams get just for making a bowl. Every bowl site provides some kind of bowl gift package. The stuff we got was unbelievable sometimes. That isn't just exclusive just to Ohio State either. Every team gets that. Its ridiculous any football player can say he deserves more of a share.
Edit Comment Cancel
Isaac Luber 9 months ago
Great article, 5 stars and POTD. I agree with you. College football is more fun and better than pro football because players play for the love of the game (and sometimes to get to the pros), and with all your reasoning no argument should be made. I can't like pro football much because players switch teams because of money, fame, and winning success of the team they go to. College players stick with one team, don't care about money, and play their hearts out every game so they can win a National Championship and have a shot at the pros.
You don't hear Derrick Williams (PSU WR) complaining about his coaches and how he doesn't get enough money, but I'm sure you've heard people like TO and Ocho Cinco say that kind of stuff. I personally love the big mouth players of the NFL, but college football is the best because people don't play for their ego, or for money or fame. That is also why college fans are better and more dedicated than pro fans. COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS THE BEST SPORT IN THE UNIVERSE!!! Let's Go State!
Edit Comment Cancel
Michael Collins 9 months ago
Did you know that almost all D-I schools lost money on football? 95 out of 117 based on a three year review of financial records by the NCAA. When this economist looks at the financial records and subtracts increased student fees and "direct institutional support", e.g. money from the university, that is the conclusion he reaches. In other words, only 22 D-I football programs are self-supporting, making money without needing funds from their universities.
http://www.neuro.uoregon.edu/~tublitz/COIA/News%20of%20interest/College%20athletics%20budgets%20are%20bulging%20but%20their%20profits%20are%20slm%20to%20none%20-%20Sports%20Business%20Journal%2018%20June%2007.pdf
Think there is any room to pay student athletes? Especially with state legislatures cutting more university budgets and rising costs.
Edit Comment Cancel
Michael Collins 9 months ago
Another article detailing college football as "A (Money) Losing Proposition" for 100 of 119 D-I institutions - http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/05/16/ncaa.
This has a link to the NCAA Financial reports for each school.
The latest 3 year review was due out a few months ago, but release has been delayed by the NCAA.
Edit Comment Cancel
Stew Winkel 9 months ago
i agree completely. college athletes should not get paid. as you point out, they get not only a free education, but free basically everything for as long as they are in college. there are a lot of problems in college sports and many things that aren't fair - people who get free tuition plus everything else to get to play sports, something so many people would do anything for, is not one of them.
Edit Comment Cancel
Jeffrey McDaniel 9 months ago
There will be cases that support both sides of the argument. The bottom line is this. If the student needs the money, then they should be expected to return to campus for camps or clinics for so many years after they leave school. If the student doesn't need the money, (i.e. wealthy parents), then he or she does without.
Great article, though.
Edit Comment Cancel
Michael Shibley 9 months ago
***** and POTD Lisa!
This is the stuff I had been saying on my radio show when I was a student at UT. A football and basketball player once or twice disagreed with me, but athletes from every other sport I talked to at UT were very happy with their situation. They know that football pays for their sports. Right now at Tennessee they are lucky that both the men's and women's basketball teams also are in the black. At most schools, football has to carry them all.
The only thing some of them mentioned was that they wished they would be allowed to have some sort of job to pay for some things, but the NCAA prohibits it.
Matt Grothe of South Florida was saying he should get paid because he has sold some jerseys. However, it was only like 500 for the year, compared to the thousands that NFL players sell.
There are maybe what, 5 players who because of their talent should be paid...and guess what they will make all that green when they sign that big NFL contract.
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Thanks Michael!
One thing Grothe doesn't realizoe is that the school gets a portion of that jersey's sale which goes back to the school. Which then gives out scholarships. It's perfect circle. If the want to get paid, then dont go to college...its simple. Colleges don't pay you to play, they reward you to play.
Edit Comment Cancel
Conrad Krasyk 9 months ago
Lisa,
What in the world is the matter with you? Did an athlete turn you down for a date or what? I have never seen such harsness in my life. This so called stipen you talk about is housing allowance. It is based on the average cost of a dorm room without meals for a semester. I must also remind you that their "free ride" does not pay for such necessaties as paper, notebooks, pens, pencils, etc. The average grant in aid falls short in the area of around $2,000 per semester. Now where in the world is a kid from a single parent family with just enough money to pay the bills suppose to get that money. It has become painfully obvious that you have never tried to keep the schedule that a student athlete is required to keep. Also in many academic grants their is monthly living expense money; I know my daughter has one that gives her $200/month to use as she needs to. Sounds a bit unfair to me since she if she chose to could hold down a part time job and has the freedom to work in the summer. When a stundent athlete takes a summer job the scrunity is unbelievable not to mention hard on them. Relax, and stop drinking the hatoraid.
Edit Comment Cancel
Lisa Horne 9 months ago
Conrad-
Actually, I dated the QB at my school, and am fully aware of the trials and tribulations of a student-athlete.
The housing allowance pays for a free dorm room...they also get a food allowance which pays for their food. What is your point?
But I fail to see your point. You are saying the school "owes" the student-athlete pens and pencils? I say the student can chip in. How many student-athletes fail to get their degree and after three years, bail on the school to go pro? The school's GPA gets dinged, the APR gets lowered since the student didn't graduate, which then causes scholarship reductions etc....
The school spends a fortune on these athletes, and many throw it away for the pros.
Edit Comment Cancel
Michael Oleszek 9 months ago
How about the doormat programs, and the ones who don't qualify for bowl games?? They still reap the rewards of BCS bowls and conference payouts from TV deals. So Vanderbilt has never been televised on CBS Sports Game of the Week??? So what, they still get cash in their coffers. Most schools lose money when they go to a lower-tier bowl game. Plus, the bowl sponsers give the "student-athletes" gifts just for coming to the game, plus a ring of some kind if they win.
Edit Comment Cancel
Conrad Krasyk 9 months ago
Let me address the last first. As you pointed out less 2% go on to the pros. As for the APR that is also effected by transfers as well as those who leave early. As for GPA's yes it could be better at many schools but it is also well around average for the general student population at msot schools. As for my point as far as the housing allowance the student athlete doesn't get that if they like many college students would like not to live in a dorm.
I see you had no comment about the monthly stipen a lot students get on pure academic grants but then again leave the negative to make your argument stronger. I never said that the school owed them pens, oencils etc but you were the one that puit the assumption out there that studen athletes grant in aids provided everything. When in actuality it dosen't. I may have been some 25 years removed from college but I do remember needing pens, pencils, paper, etc in order to complete my classes. Again your argument about "chipping in" is in direct conflict with your original argument: many of these young people come from poor single parent households and do not have the means to "chip in." I am guessing that you are a poly-csi major and could be wrong but you would make one heck of a politician. You know play to what side of the argument you need to be right.
Edit Comment Cancel
Michael Oleszek 9 months ago
Wrong post buddy.
Edit Comment Cancel
Deanna Troi 8 months ago
"Free insurance. It costs approximately 400 bucks a month per person for decent insurance. Multiply that by 85 scholarshipped players...per month. Gulp."
Don't think the University pays the entire bill. When an athlete is injured and sees a Doctor, the players insurance is billed, the University pays the co-pay.
Edit Comment Cancel
Leave a Comment
You must register to post a comment.