Should semipro/college players be paid, or allowed to sell their stuff? (NIL and Revenue Sharing)

[Pheasant]

Yet the kids are making millions of dollars for Fox, ESPN, The B1G, etc.

Brilliant point. Nobody has brought that up yet. I don't really know how to reply (since you're replying to a reply of a reply, and without any original thoughts) except to say this:

The evening news should be required to pay anyone featured, mentioned or thought of during each broadcast, since they are making money off those people. Journalists should start paying people they interview. Animal planet should start sending money to every german shepherd when they feature the breed on "Dogs 101".

 

[BUCKYLE]

I think this is the biggest hurdle. I think the moment a conference pays a male sport you will have a lawsuit seaking equal opportunity for an offsetting amount of female athletes to receive payment.

In the end, schools don't want to pay because it would take a chunk out of their budget. I envision paying players would end up forcing schools to cancel non-revenue sports to make up the revenue needed for payment.

Or, they could all pay the coaches of football and mens and womens bball a little less each to cover costs. I love how the only option for paying players involves cutting other sports. How about having some of the boosters give the fucking money up that they've already been paying the players? There are a bunch of options available.

Doesn't mean I think it will happen. Just that it should.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

And tOSU could afford it.

Not really. Our athletic department has, despite the high revenue levels, razor thin margins right now. That's a combination of two things: high debt levels for the building binge of the last fifteen years and supporting 36 Division 1 sports, all with full scholarship levels. Schools with much lower revenue are more profitable than Ohio State's athletic department.

 

[woofermazing]

Brilliant point. Nobody has brought that up yet. I don't really know how to reply (since you're replying to a reply of a reply, and without any original thoughts) except to say this:

The evening news should be required to pay anyone featured, mentioned or thought of during each broadcast, since they are making money off those people. Journalists should start paying people they interview. Animal planet should start sending money to every german shepherd when they feature the breed on "Dogs 101".

News interviews don't last 3-5 years. Student Athletes are not animals, though you could probably use the same negotiating tactics...

ESPN: "I have a dog treat, can I use your likeness in news broadcasts and video games?"
Athletes: "Treat! Give me the treat!"

Animal Planet doesn't pay every German shepherd, but they probably do compensate the owners for their time. Maybe they should start mailing out dog treats too.

OSU would sell a bazillion other jerseys. Don't act as if TP is why Ohio State is on national TV and why memorabilia sales are so high. Does he have a part in it, sure. But a small part.
As to ratings, people tune in to watch tOSU because it's tOSU. Do we get a ratings bump for having TP, probably. I doubt it's anywhere near what you seem to think it is, though. The 2011 Sugar Bowl was tOSU's lowest rated BCS game ever.

This was also the first BCS game we played on cable. Having been to Arkansas, I can assure you that many a Hog fan tune into the games by rabbit ear antenna. :tongue2:

 

[BUCKYLE]

Not really. Our athletic department has, despite the high revenue levels, razor thin margins right now. That's a combination of two things: high debt levels for the building binge of the last fifteen years and supporting 36 Division 1 sports, all with full scholarship levels. Schools with much lower revenue are more profitable than Ohio State's athletic department.

So any coach of a sport that doesn't bring in revenue takes a fucking pay cut. I wonder how much of the revenue for women's hoops goes to paying Foster's contract. Not talking shit...I actually wonder that.

 

[BB73]

We're already on the slippery slope, I say the swag bags should be eliminated too. If your parents can't afford to buy you an XBox then you go to your buddy's and play. Or be like normal college kids: fill out some credit card apps, get free t-shirts and live in debt.

Are the players allowed to sell the swag they get from bowl games? They get up to $500 in gifts from the NCAA for bowl games. Are they allowed to sell that, or is it the same as gold pants or championship rings?

 

[jwinslow]

like I've said many times, there's no way to pay them without ruining so many things. I'm simply discussing their market value as star athletes.

OSU would sell a bazillion other jerseys.

Not really. Sanzenbacher, Boren, Heyward, Rolle, Posey don't hold a candle to Pryor's popularity, even though many are as good or better of players and role models.

OSU will always sell jerseys. That doesn't mean Brian Robiskie is anywhere near as valuable a commodity as Terrelle Pryor, Troy Smith or Eddie George.

Don't act as if TP is why Ohio State is on national TV and why memorabilia sales are so high.

He's not the reason, he's a major part of the reason the ratings are that high this year. Without him OSU wins 7-8 games with Tajh Boyd and/or Joe Bauesrman at the helm, leading OSU to a nationally forgettable bowl game.

Does he have a part in it, sure. But a small part.

I'd argue he's the most marketable buckeye player in a decade, even over Troy Smith (despite the difference in their legacies). There have been so many legendary players, and without Pryor, they would have eventually had more, but he was the face and marketability for OSU to ESPN & sponsors.

As to ratings, people tune in to watch tOSU because it's tOSU.

OSU fans watch them because it is OSU. General ratings have always been about star power. Even for the small subset of rabid CFB fans like us who just want to watch great football, Pryor's alternatives at QB are not going to provide that.

Do we get a ratings bump for having TP, probably.

Absolutely.

I doubt it's anywhere near what you seem to think it is, though. The 2011 Sugar Bowl was tOSU's lowest rated BCS game ever.

It was the 2nd highest night CFB game on cable ever, 3% behind UF-Cinci, which was on new years night.

OSU was stuck on a terrible tuesday time slot. They blew away the ratings of the previous year's Tuesday BCS game (Orange Bowl).

Arkansas also has a pretty mild following compared to some of the recent bowl matchups like Texas, ND, LSU, UF... and Oregon naturally draws viewers for the bowl itself.

 

[Onebuckfan]

Terrell has star power thanks to the hype machine at ESPN since before he got to tOSU for my money give me CK and a NC. TP never acheived what he was hyped to be but he is fun to watch and has been a great player ..

 

[Pheasant]

Are the players allowed to sell the swag they get from bowl games? They get up to $500 in gifts from the NCAA for bowl games. Are they allowed to sell that, or is it the same as gold pants or championship rings?

I don't think they should even receive swag for bowl games. Since I don't think they should even receive it, I don't think they should be able to sell it.

I understand $100 (or $500) handshakes are going to be there. I also understand these kids are going to get breaks in terms of class attendance and performance (from some professors) and McDonald's is going to slide some freebies toward them when they come in. I don't feel it's the NCAA's responsibility to put a mike and cam on every college athlete, JT or Gene Smith shouldn't have to police the professors and it's McDonald's management and LP/AP department's responsibility to make sure their employees don't give away free food.

I definitely agree that it seems unfair for colleges, networks, ad agencies etc, etc to be profiting seemingly on the backs of these poor, defenseless college kids. I am not going to fall for the trap though. These kids have what amounts to $30-$50 thousand dollars per year (in some cases much higher) compensation packages, tax free and with zero debt.

If D1A linebacker Douchie McStickface hurts his knee playing wiener tag with his fraternity brothers on a Sunday morning, is he responsible for reimbursing the university for the money required to diagnose, treat and rehab his knee? Under the current system he does not...what if he's making $250,000 per year in endorsements? Does he pay it then? Who pays for the lawyers to represent the athletes to ensure the contract they are signing is fair? Or do you give them money with no contractual obligations on their part? Here's $25 G's, see ya in the fall, please come back in good shape.

The can of worms that would be opened by allowing these kids to have jobs and sell their memorabilia is staggering. The current system is far from perfect, and I don't believe there can be a perfect as long as there are greedy, shady people with little to no integrity around. Since there is so much money swirling around college football, integrity will always be getting trampled. If we start paying these kids salaries, letting them sell their swag or memorabilia we practically eliminate any ability to pick up that integrity, dust it off and put it back where it belongs. We turn what is an imperfect system that we all love into something which will also not be perfect and that we probably wouldn't love nearly as much.


Regent Chairman: This is not a football vocational school. It's an institute for higher learning.
Coach Winters: Yeah, but when was the last time 80,000 people showed up to watch a kid do a damn chemistry experiment? Why don't you stick the bow-tie up your ass?

 

[BUCKYLE]

What about the fact that it costs more to attend Stanford than tOSU? Stanford awards far more schollie money for football than does tOSU. Add in the fact that tOSU makes more off the players than does Stanford. Should tOSU not be able to split the difference and give the players some cash to take a girl out or buy a fuckin' pizza? Or the fact that it costs more to attend tOSU coming from out of state than it does for an Ohioan. Should the Ohioan be able to get a little cash since he stayed home and is "costing" the university less schollie money?

 

[MaxBuck]

And tOSU could afford it.

Not really. Our athletic department has, despite the high revenue levels, razor thin margins right now. That's a combination of two things: high debt levels for the building binge of the last fifteen years and supporting 36 Division 1 sports, all with full scholarship levels. Schools with much lower revenue are more profitable than Ohio State's athletic department.

Which leads me back to my original premise - that athletes like Pryor, Sullinger et al be permitted to profit from sale of things like autographs, memorabilia, used equipment, etc. There would be no dilution of funding otherwise available for women's lacrosse, and the true stars would be able to realize market value that they may never again be able to realize (given that many of them will never be successful pros)/

What is the problem with this simple, market-based solution?

 

[BUCKYLE]

To simplify my earlier point...

If a Stanford education is of higher value than say...a degree from Central Michigan...then why wouldn't Central Michigan be allowed to "even the playing field", since that seems to be what the NCAA is after?

 

[MaxBuck]

One other thing: if we're going to continue to prevent college stars from profiting from things like autographs and memorabilia, then I think fairness dictates that we limit head coaches' salaries to something like $500k per year. And assistants to like $250k per year.

If you find big money to be a problem with college revenue sports, start where the problem originated.

 

[jwinslow]

What is the problem with this simple, market-based solution?

It is impossible to monitor the booster money-laundering aspect of those sales, overpaying for memorabilia, especially if the market gets saturated from many players selling gear.

 

[MaxBuck]

It is impossible to monitor the booster money-laundering aspect of those sales, overpaying for memorabilia, especially if the market gets saturated from many players selling gear.

There's no such thing as "overpaying" if you permit the market to dictate pricing - the value is whatever the purchaser is willing to pay.

As for money-laundering, I'm not quite sure what you mean.