<p>“Are they exploited? Taylor Lewan, the All-American left tackle anchoring Michigan’s offensive line, had an opportunity to go pro after his junior year. The NFL draft handicappers projected him as a top-10 draft choice, meaning he could be making millions this year playing football on Sundays. He elected to forego the NFL draft and return to Michigan for his final year of eligibility.”</p>
<p>Taylor Lewan comes from the “mean streets” of Scottsdale Arizona. Most big time college athletes don’t have that kind of upbringing and privilege. The money they would be paid could be sorely used by those kids.</p>
<p>I won’t bother you by listing all the things that have been around for a 100 years at a time that were finally deemed by intelligent (!) society to be either harmful, exploitative, no longer socially acceptable or had simply out lived the need for their own existence. Longevity does not automatically equate with anything other than longevity.</p>
<p>And your first and now second comment is not only rude but also boorish. Fear of being seen as kind would not be an issue so no need to worry.</p>
<p>But then again, grown ups who’s own lives and dentities are tied to the success or failure of a college (hey those were the BEST years of my life dude!) sports team are exempted from rational thought during ‘their’ season. </p>
<p>Polite society will however ask them in most circumstances to be…polite, but realize some just can’t manage that when it comes to this subject.</p>
If you are talking of endorsements, 95% of D1 Basketball/Football players won’t ever see that money whether it is legal or not. And in fact many of those that would end up with endorsement money are already very well off (Manziel, Manning, Luck, Barkley).</p>
<p>Now yes, the money would help out the Mclemores and Lees but the vast, vast majority of Student athletes (95%) even in big time sports, won’t ever see more than a couple hundred $s in money. Not to mention that it opens some athletes up to be exploited even more than people are claiming the NCAA is exploiting them.</p>
<p>Create a scholarship fund for living and travel expenses based both on financial need and contribution to the school’s non-academic life. Recognize that while it’s almost impossible for D1 athletes to hold down jobs, there are other students whose heavy involvement in school activities make it difficult for them to find time for employment as well. The star actor, head of student government or founder of the volunteer peer mentoring program should have an equal shot at the scholarships if they’re putting in the kind of hours the football team is. Let the boosters fund it if they want to, knowing that the majority of scholarships will go to athletes, in particular athletes in time-intensive sports.</p>
<p>Have the selections made by a faculty committee and let the NCAA audit the results. Make the minimum GPA for scholarship eligibility the same as for eligibility to play.</p>
<p>Suggesting any college sponsor a female mud wrestling team brings any conversation down to the boorish level. Now you wish to run away from that? Own it.
You don’t have to define you life by the outcomes of a football game anymore than enjoy a good concert or movie. It’s entertainment and competition where young people often do amazing things for three hours a week in the Fall. Like anything some can take that too far but most just enjoy supporting their team on Saturday and live their very adult responsible lives the other 165 hours.</p>
<p>I am not well versed in the topic and I haven’t read through the posts, but to my knowledge it isn’t the government mandating that college athletes can’t be paid, it’s individual private leagues that mandate that member teams follow certain rules, including that college athletes can’t be paid. If a number of schools want to go against this, they are free to form a new league without these restrictions, correct?</p>
<p>If this is correct, I see no issue. If a school chooses to violate one of these rules and secretly pay students then enforcement is up to the league and is a contract breach between two corporations (which is something I simply have no emotion in and assign no moral value to). If a school chooses to follow those rules set forth in a league where other schools don’t, well, they’re free to do their business elsewhere. If a student wishes to be compensated, well, they’re free to do something else where they will be compensated.</p>
<p>I’m going to point out that we should be accurate when discussing how impoverished (or not) these student-athletes are. Not sure when, maybe in the seventies, after the laundry allowance was taken away. NCAA began allowing scholarship athletes to receive, in addition to their school-provided package, the full Pell Grant if they are eligible. That can run upwards of $5,000+ per year. Athletes are also eligible to draw from the NCAA’s Special Assistance Fund and the NCAA’s Opportunity Fund and/or couple merit awards with this full ride.</p>
<p>Anyone see Horsefeathers?Remember Professor Wagstaff: And I say to you gentlemen that this college is a failure. The trouble is we’re neglecting football for education.</p>
<p>Groucho satirized corrupt college and their student athletes in 1932.</p>
<p>I like the article Tom posted. It laughingly challenged the idea that there’s not enough money for stipends by pointing out in actual numbers the amount of money they now pay people to make sure the kids don’t get paid. </p>
<p>It’s in the millions at these universities. Careers upwards of half a million a year plus club memberships and cars. All to NOT pay the kids. </p>
<p>Oh my my my…YES, I own it. The absurdity surrounding college athletics deserves absurd comparisons. And btw…I long ago stopped running away from bullies, either the physical or verbal kind…So…by all means feel free to continue snarking, being rude and aggressive. It obviously fills a need. Now, please own that!</p>
<p>Football players at three schools marked their uniforms in protest of the NCAA.</p>
<p>What do you think the NCAA will do?</p>
<p>Will they soon be passing a rule outlawing personal messages on uniforms?
What will be the penalty? Fifteen yards?
What happens if the player puts tape over the swoosh?</p>
<p>For many coaches they won’t play next time and could lose their scholarship. NCAA and schools are taking concussion issue very seriously. Penalties and sitting rest of game already common this season.</p>
<p>It is very interesting to me that, whenever this topic comes up, the almost universal knee-jerk response is to “pay the players.”</p>
<p>The logic is: the schools make a lot of money “off of” the players, therefore the players should get their rightful share.</p>
<p>But this only applies to a very, very, very small percentage of Div I athletes (a few star football and basketball players at the very top programs).</p>
<p>No one is making money off of the third-string football player. No one is making money off of the fencing athlete.</p>
<p>So, who to pay and what to pay (ethics issues aside) are impractical and a non-starter.</p>
<p>There is a much simpler and more honest solution: eliminate athletic scholarships. An outstanding 300-pound football player with D grades is not more deserving of a free ride than a thick glasses-wearing physics major with A grades.</p>
<p>Yes, what we will wind up with is this: </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>As far as this also becoming a consequence:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I am not so certain that will be the case. Students will still want to see competitive games and will still cheer for their teams. </p>
<p>A hundred and ten years ago 100,000 people came to watch a college sporting event. All participants were normal sized. All were true student-athletes. And none of them (AFAIK) were paid. ;)</p>