Texas AD Estimates Athletes Would Receive $10K Under New Rules

With a seemingly overwhelming wave of momentum behind it, the idea of paying college athletes appears to be a matter of when, not if. For the University of Texas, additional compensation could be on the way for student-athletes.

During an open forum on the business of college athletics, Texas athletic director Steve Patterson said that various rulings in court proceedings could force the school's hand.

Michael A. Lindenberger of The Dallas Morning News explains:

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Assuming the new policies survive the legal appeals process, Patterson said UT won’t have problems paying the extra $6 million to its players. That money will break down to about $10,000 for each player. The money will cover college expenses that aren’t covered by a traditional full scholarship and give each player $5,000 in compensation for the university’s use of his image.

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According to Chris Plonsky, the director of Longhorns' women's sports, men's basketball and football produce all of the money to fund Texas' various sports programs and pay the 350 workers associated with those teams.

"If we begin to [further] remunerate the participants, that’s going to break that model," she said.

As Tim Sullivan of The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky, pointed out, Texas' potential move would be the next logical step in the collegiate athletics arms race:

And when it comes to spending, money is no object in Austin. In Forbes' most recent valuation, the Longhorns had the richest football program in the country, hauling in $109 million and reaping a profit of $82 million.

It's important to note that the $10,000 for each Longhorns student-athlete isn't necessarily a foregone conclusion. That's the school's plan in the event that courts compel it to provide student-athletes with more than a scholarship and room and board.

Either way, the tide is turning across the college sports landscape. Texas' move would likely serve as the tip of the iceberg.