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

[JCOSU86]

The real solution is an NFL funded d-league where someone who has no desire to be in--and no business being in--a college classroom can go off and make 35 or 40K a year while honing his skills for a shot at the NFL.

While this solution certainly makes sense, will it do unto NCAA football what it did to NCAA basketball (and their pro counterparts?)

 

[jwinslow]

If Pryor can't sell his own jersey, then Nike certainly should not be able to do so. At least be consistent, and save the absurd 'anonymous' jersey argument.

A lot of the stipend talk stems from the way memorabilia vendors milk these kids' likenesses for huge money.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

If Pryor can't sell his own jersey, then Nike certainly should not be able to do so. At least be consistent, and save the absurd 'anonymous' jersey argument.

A lot of the stipend talk stems from the way memorabilia vendors milk these kids' likenesses for huge money.

so write gene smith/e.g. gee/tressel a letter telling them not to whore themselves out. or dont buy said jersey, its not rocket science...

 

[LordJeffBuck]

With all the current brouhaha in Columbus, it was inevitable that the talking heads would resurrect the tired argument that D1 football players should receive "stipends" (read: salaries) because of the "millions of dollars they're generating for their universities." These pundits typically also suggest that players would be less likely to engage in selling rings, jerseys, etc. if they were getting some coin-for-play.

Hogwash.

1. Why should football players receive stipends and, say, track athletes or tennis players not? The whole idea of an athletic department is to provide student-athletes the opportunity to develop holistically, and both schoolwork and teamwork are learning experiences. To the extent you pay footballers, you can't support as many student-athletes in other sports, which is counter to the interest of developing as many student-athletes as possible. And there isn't enough money floating around to pay everyone.

2. Why does anyone believe that stipends will serve as inoculation against greed? If Joe Quarterback is getting $2,000 a month, does anyone seriously believe he'll be less tempted to sell an old jersey he can get another $2,000 for? If anything, such stipends would encourage an environment of "pay for play" that would exacerbate the current problems.

I don't have any perfect answers, but stipends are not among them.

Agree with everything, especially point #2. Pro athletes who making millions of dollars a year still sell their autographs for 50 bucks a pop.

 

[Systems_id]

While this solution certainly makes sense, will it do unto NCAA football what it did to NCAA basketball (and their pro counterparts?)

Does it honestly matter? I mean sure the game may suffer but A LOT of these kids, who are legal adults mind you, have absolutely no interest in getting an education.

Would the integrity of the game suffer? Probably but that integrity flew right out the window when schools made their first profits from a game. It was bound to get to this point.

 

[Jake]

The real solution is an NFL funded d-league where someone who has no desire to be in--and no business being in--a college classroom can go off and make 35 or 40K a year while honing his skills for a shot at the NFL.

Not sure I agree that's the solution but there has been such a league the last two years - the UFL. A handful of those guys signed with NFL teams in November after their season ended this year.

 

[sharkonwheels]

I don't think paying them is the proper solution, as then they are no longer considered "amateurs."

However, suspending 5 kids for getting a few discounted tattoos is absolute bullshit.

The NCAA makes a SHITLOAD of money off these kids backs, and basically expects them to be poor.
If they work, they get questioned how much they're paid, vs the work they do.
if they sell some of their shit, they get suspended.

WTF? Seriously?

I been saying it for over a decade - the NCAA makes a SHIT ton of money on these kids back, and doesn't give a flying SHIT about them, throwing them under the bus at their first opportunity.

They all need to just get together, kind of union-like, and just sit the f*** down a year.
Guarantee you, with the lopsided revenue percentage that it brings, the NCAA will be crawling on their knees quicker than a fart in the wind, when the gravy train that is NCAA D-IA football dries up.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

While this solution certainly makes sense, will it do unto NCAA football what it did to NCAA basketball (and their pro counterparts?)

You're going to lose those students who truly do not want to be part (and in sadly far too many cases should not be part) of the university. The stereotypical guy who is just there to punch his ticket to the NFL.

Ohio State would still have an enormous amount to offer a kid. Would you prefer to play in Quad Cities in front of 20K for a 40K paycheck and no classroom obligations, or would you prefer to play in Ohio Stadium in front of 105K, a world class education paid for, the college experience and still have the same chance at the NFL?

Will college football--and Ohio State--lose some 5* athletes? Definitely. On the whole, I honestly think it would be a case of addition through subtraction:). College programs across the NCAA would see fewer recruiting scandals, fewer off-field arrests and fewer academic casualties.

 

[BUCKYLE]

This is true. We'd all prefer an honest "this is going to hurt" before getting fucked by the powers that be but again, welcome to the real world kids. At our age they give us lines about quality of life, being team members, benefits packages yadda yadda.

People who say they give a shit about you don't and the only people who care if you get fucked is your immediate family.

So while admitting that the university doesn't have their best interests at heart, the players should watch the millions roll in and take the education as their only payment?

I'm just sayin' that you can't blame the players for wanting more if it's obvious the powers that be are "fucking" them.

Again, not excusing the rule breaking. Just wanted to make that clear.

 

[Jaxbuck]

So while admitting that the university doesn't have their best interests at heart, the players should watch the millions roll in and take the education as their only payment?

I'm just sayin' that you can't blame the players for wanting more if it's obvious the powers that be are "fucking" them.

Again, not excusing the rule breaking. Just wanted to make that clear.

You play a role in making a significant amount of money roll into your place of work and simply take a paycheck as your only payment. No matter what they say to your face they don't really give a shit if you live or die, they'd replace you tomorrow if they thought they could get the same quality of work cheaper.

I wouldn't blame you for wanting more but you know its against the rules to steal so if you choose to break the rules you accept the consequences. I'd feel a little bit bad for you going off to toss salads in the big house and all but I wouldn't think you were treated unfairly (unless the tossed salad man didn't offer you the choice between jelly or syrup).

So different strokes/different folks but I don't see it as any more exploitative than they'll probably be looking at after college. Most kids are heading for the same fate with student loan debt, had to work odd jobs all 4 years at college and weren't treated to the rock star life. Athletes have to work their ass off but the free education does have significant economic value.

 

[BUCKYLE]

You play a role in making a significant amount of money roll into your place of work and simply take a paycheck as your only payment. No matter what they say to your face they don't really give a shit if you live or die, they'd replace you tomorrow if they thought they could get the same quality of work cheaper.

I wouldn't blame you for wanting more but you know its against the rules to steal so if you choose to break the rules you accept the consequences. I'd feel a little bit bad for you going off to toss salads in the big house and all but I wouldn't think you were treated unfairly (unless the tossed salad man didn't offer you the choice between jelly or syrup).

So different strokes/different folks but I don't see it as any more exploitative than they'll probably be looking at after college. Most kids are heading for the same fate with student loan debt, had to work odd jobs all 4 years at college and weren't treated to the rock star life. Athletes have to work their ass off but the free education does have significant economic value.

They didn't steal anything.
They don't get a paycheck. It would be like my job giving me a paycheck next year for the work I'm doing today.
All other students are free to earn whatever they can with the skills they have.

 

[knapplc]

They didn't steal anything.
They don't get a paycheck. It would be like my job giving me a paycheck next year for the work I'm doing today.
All other students are free to earn whatever they can with the skills they have.

All other students don't have access to the same facilities, training table, tutoring, travel, gear and sundry other perks the athletes get, either. The players are getting a higher level of compensation than regular students, by far, and that includes full-ride students as well.

The argument can definitely be made that the athletes are not compensated commensurate with the amount of income they bring to the school, but to claim they are at some disadvantage compared to regular students is wrong.

 

[BUCKYLE]

All other students don't have access to the same facilities, training table, tutoring, travel, gear and sundry other perks the athletes get, either. The players are getting a higher level of compensation than regular students, by far, and that includes full-ride students as well.

The argument can definitely be made that the athletes are not compensated commensurate with the amount of income they bring to the school, but to claim they are at some disadvantage compared to regular students is wrong.

They are at "some disadvantage". If I'm a computer prodigy, studying at tOSU, IBM can pay me a million dollars to work for them. A football player can't even teach kids at a camp and get paid for it.

Just give the fucking kids an allowance. Just enough to buy some clothes and take a girl on a date.

 

[Gatorubet]

Just give the [censored]ing kids an allowance. Just enough to buy some clothes and take a girl on a date.

That's why God made Pell grants. Now, they might send the money home to mamma who has needs and the big guilt button (or real life needs like keeping the lights on), and so Student Athlete A is stone broke at Oppressor Tech, but that is not college football's problem.

 

[BUCKYLE]

That's why God made Pell grants. Now, they might send the money home to mamma who has needs and the big guilt button (or real life needs like keeping the lights on), and so Student Athlete A is stone broke at Oppressor Tech, but that is not college football's problem.

When five or six major programs are under investigation, I'd say it sure as fuck is CFB's problem.