Should College Athletes be paid?

they get stipends for road trips.

a lot get money from work study that far exceeds what regular students are eligible to attain.

they're not in need.
 
They get a full ride to schools that cost tens of thousands of dollars. That's enough.
 
exhibit A:
http://www.wkowtv.com/global/story.asp?s=10114659

MADISON (WKOW) -- UW football players used scholarship funds earmarked for housing and food to purchase mopeds, and in some cases, cars.

Senior Jonathan Casillas told 27 News the practice of ciphoning money from room and board uses made sense.

"Once you get to your second, third year, you start learning what's cheap (housing), what's expensive. Maybe live with somebody and split the rent. And hopefully you can get a moped, or maybe even a car. Some people got cars."

Casillas told 27 News he bought his moped from a housing scholarship stipend. Casillas was also arrested on that moped for alleged first offense drunk driving. Casillas has a plea hearing scheduled for April 22.

27 News verified at least 22 starting players or top reserves on the roster of the Badger football team which played in last December's Champs Sports Bowl have received traffic citations on mopeds, including tight end Lance Kendricks' conviction for drunk driving on a moped.

Any correlation between traffic citations and scholarship-funded mopeds is unclear. But Casillas suggested using the stipend for transportation was not uncommon, with mopeds a desireable commodity. "That's how I got around campus."

"I think a housing stipend should be used for housing," former UW Athletic board member Jeremi Suri told 27 News.

UW Athletic Department officials said the room and board stipend for full scholarship athletes living off-campus for the current school year is $8,986 (housing: $6,028; food: $2,958). The monthly average is $1,009.

Officials said the stipend amount is derived using a formula provided by the NCAA which factors in the listed, average costs of on-campus housing and food for all students.

Off campus room and board subsidies provided to full scholarship student athletes at several other Big Ten schools surveyed by 27 News were consistent with stipend amounts at UW. At Ohio State, officials said full scholarship athletes received $15,988 for room and board to cover four academic quarters, with a monthly average of $1,332.

"We're using campus costs, and plugging that into the NCAA formula," UW Associate Athletic Director Vince Sweeney told 27 News.

The NCAA formula is available to member schools for calculating housing and food costs, but not required.

Sweeney told 27 News he was unaware some football players used housing or food stipends to purchase mopeds and cars.

But Sweeney said the decision on using the funds was up to student-athletes.

"Our obligation to them is to issue them a check," Sweeney said. "How they manage that is their business.

Suri said the athletic department's lack of financial accountability was one of the reasons he resigned from the athletic board last year.

"(It's) A process where we're supposed to have faith that a few people who have their hands on the checkbook know the appropriate uses of the money."

"Perhaps some of the housing money is being misused. I think we need to have that discussion."

Sweeney acknowledged the athletic department is not immune from the current economic crisis, and must examine the department's budget line item spending. But Sweeney said "student welfare" expenses such as room and board would be the last items to be considered for cuts, and disagreed with any characterization the room and board stipends were being abused, or were too generous.

"If there's enough money left over in sharing an apartment, that's their decision to make."

Junior P.J. Hill told 27 News the scholarship stipends were in line with housing and food costs. Hill said he avoided using the funds for transportation.

"I was pretty smart in the way I used my money," Hill told 27 News.

Several days after Hill's 27 News interview, authorities said Hill was arrested for alleged drunken driving in a rental car.

from experience, you give me 1300 a month as a college student sharing an apartment, I'm pocketing 500 of that, minimum.
 
they get paid all the time....pell grants and #$* like that...they get money to spend for bowl games wherever they go...so yea they get paid
 
If they aren't being paid, they should at least be allowed to work, whenever, wherever they please.
no .. that's what makes college sports so competitive. most of the time these athletes are playing hard to make it in the NFL,NBA etc.
That doesn't make any sense.

Even if they were being paid in college, they would still work as hard as if they weren't because they'd be making peanuts compared to what they wouldmake should they get to the L.
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The fact that they aren't getting paid in college is not what makes them so competitive.
 
Originally Posted by dreClark

The fact that they aren't getting paid in college is not what makes them so competitive.
This.

And for the people saying they shouldn't be paid, put yourself in the position of a high profile college sports athlete. Someone like say J.J. Redick orTim Tebow. Consider how much money is being made off of them, with them not being able to see any of that $. The common response to that would be that theythey are getting paid by boosters on the side and if they need something it's taken care of. Then if that's the case, then treating NCAA athletesalmost like a union where they can pool revenues from ticket sales and merchandise.

I'm very surprised that in the money-hungry capitalist driven society that we live in that there hasn't been a collegiate athlete who try's to goto court and get some $ for all the jerseys they sell with his number, and all the tickets the sell because of his Naismith/Hesiman and all that. I think Iremember seeing Ed O'Bannon trying to sue the NCAA, but I'm not sure what's up with that.

edit:
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at people making the assertion that a free education is fair market value for these athletes considering how much these athletic departmentshave/make.
 
Pmac, is it possible for a line to get drawn between JJ Redick and Sean Dockery?

the stars absolutely do deserve a kick back, hell...SVSM owes Lebron.

But there just are way too many variables to ever make it work.
 
Originally Posted by P MAC ONE

I'm very surprised that in the money-hungry capitalist driven society that we live in that there hasn't been a collegiate athlete who try's to go to court and get some $ for all the jerseys they sell with his number
That's never gonna fly, since NCAA are sold w/o names on them. So the #16 FSU football jersey, could be for Chris Weinke, or Chris Rix.

And the ones that DO have names, aren't the NCAA official ones and I'm sure those players get some kind of kickback.
 
^ Exactly. How would you pay a high profile player? 10k? 20k? 30k? A year? Thats crazy to think that even with 30k+ per year, free housing, food/rent,books,school grades paid off for, they would still need money back?

But it can be an advantage to pay those who you think might be one and done. Think if Texas paid Kevin Durant to stay couple more years, or Syracuse to keepMelo for more championships. They each school could benefit their extra years from staying.

Its a double edge sword in my opinion. You cant calculate the value of some players. Then there just gonna be alot of internal problems. Players A v.s PlayerB, why they should be paid more. Should Colt McCoy be paid as much as Tim Tebow, yadi yadi.

I think the free school, easy grades and degrees(some one needs to explain to me how they are able to go to practice, games, take test, and still remain a 3.5+on their gpa, cause thats crazy talk, and i doubt all of them are doing it cause there smart).
 
Originally Posted by Drunken Cow

I think the free school, easy grades and degrees(some one needs to explain to me how they are able to go to practice, games, take test, and still remain a 3.5+ on their gpa, cause thats crazy talk, and i doubt all of them are doing it cause there smart).
Not really.

These dude go to class for all summer sessions in order to lighten the course load during the season.

These dudes don't have to take 19 credit hours a semester because they already knocked out like 15 over the summer.

They go to school year round, for 4 years. Not impossible.

And they take tests on the road, have tutors on the road and a lot of these schools (like Clemson for example) have EXCELLENT Academic support for these dudes.

And add in the fact that some have the BS majors, or are undecided until their Jr year, so they can take fluff classes for 3 yrs.

And some of 'em cheat, yes
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. No doubt.
 
MOST are getting free educations and if they're good enough to make it to a bowl, some little gift bag with some pretty nice stuff.
 
If they're allowed to work more than regular students (or get paid more), siphon a decent amount of housing for other uses, I'm ok with that. Gladactually cuz it bothered me that it was only a housing stipend and didn't include clothes, a transportation allowance, etc.

I absolutely don't think they should get a cut of jersey sales or whatever. It's the NFL's version of the minor leagues. Training if you will.It's just that colleges are a lot more popular than your typical minor league team. Wanna be paid while training for the top pro league? There are otheroptions out there. It's just that college football is the best and most realistic option for football players. Other sports like basketball and baseballhave a ton of options if they feel "abused" by the college system. With the large fan bases, colleges are a great way to raise your profile soyou're more marketable when you go pro. Compensation isn't purely monetary. Next, you "pay" them guys are gonna be saying to pay the LittleLeaguers.
 
Originally Posted by Al3xis

Originally Posted by bostonmarc

I remember reading an article a while back about Notre Dame football. They said after ALL expenses including coaches salaries, scholarships, travel etc that the football team grossed almost $21 million in profit. So I think there is a little something left over for the girls soccer team or anyone else. My opinion is that its done on a school by school basis. Take the total profit that ther athletic department generates, pick a percentage, then divide it by the total number of student athletes at the school. As far as people saying an education isnt cheap, lets assume that the average 4 year player costs $150k to go to school. First off $ 150k is the RETAIL price for the education, not the actual cost of the scholarship. I would have no idea what the actual cost would be , but i would guess its maybe half of that. Even so, at a large athletic university a guy like say Tyler Hansborough is worth miuch more and generates much more money then his scholarship value. So maybe with the percentages, an athlete at UNC might get $250 a week, but an athlete at UNC Greensborough might only get $50 a week due to the amount of profit generated
so then you create built in recruiting advantages. a nightmare.


It is not possible, you guys can create all the ideas you want. not happening.

The ONLY plausible thing i could see is if TV networks and shoe companies step in and give back $ for what they've generated...and that has no chance of happening, either.

and AD and coaches picking who gets paid?
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. Lawsuits waiting to happen.

Well I think there is a way to do it, my conference size possibly? I dont have "the answer" but there has to be a way. I agree we may never see ithappen. As far as recruiting goes, the guy who goes to play football at Florida is not being recruited by Florida International. As long as the major athleticprograms/conferences are on a pay scale then it should be ok. And I dont mean a huge amount of money, more like a stipend. If non athletes are allowed to workand be students, then they either have to give a stipend or let athletes work in the off season
 
Originally Posted by HipHopDoc09

I mean most of them get to school for free and a lot of athletes get "special" help as far as grades

I dont think they should be paid

/thread. certain athletes feel like they should have everything handed to them on a golden platter. #%*%.
 
Hell nawl. Students already paying 40-80k for that piece of paper so they can get a higher paying job. You wanna pay the student athletes who arealready getting an education, eating, and living for FREE? Oh, I'd be salty.

But really, how would this payment system be regulated? Kids are already getting paid, now you wanna pay them legally. Next thing you know kids will go towhichever school is the highest bidder and can promise the fattest paycheck. Greed always prevails in the end. Paying student athletes would justcreate a bigger mess than the boosters.
 
Yeah I think they should take a portion of the 17M you get if go to a BCS Bowl game. Like maybe 1 million put in away for like 5 years then it split among all85 scholarship players from that years team but only if they graduated . Its not much but it would be reward for being a succesful team.
 
Originally Posted by dreClark

If they aren't being paid, they should at least be allowed to work, whenever, wherever they please.
The NCAA definitely needs to relax their limits on work hours, $ and places. Situations like that car dealership in Norman make them overreact.Some of these dudes have kid(s) to feed (Jorvorskie Lane I'm looking at you).

Also they need to let stipend amounts increase. Yup kinda the same as a flat out salary, but within the current system. I'm talking about the upper limit,mostly for true hardship cases.

Originally Posted by tmay407

It's a good thought that these kids should be paid...but in reality it's just not possible. The athletic departments are already giving these kids $40,000+ for tuition (getting a scholarship is an opportunity that they probably wouldn't have if it weren't for their athletic talent), and all of the perks that goes along with that scholarship; housing, meal plans, pretty much free access to nutritional supplements and trainers/dietitians, free tutoring, etc. If you wanna get deep down into it, scholarships are one of an athletic department's biggest expenses, and one of the main reasons most schools operate on a loss.
But ultimately I have to agree with my fellow Aggie. There are only a few dozen, if that, teams that can turn a profit, let alone entiredepartments, when we are talking about a handful. You could pay these kids more money, but then all those perks disappear and the complaining remains.

Originally Posted by P MAC ONE

I'm very surprised that in the money-hungry capitalist driven society that we live in that there hasn't been a collegiate athlete who try's to go to court and get some $ for all the jerseys they sell with his number, and all the tickets the sell because of his Naismith/Hesiman and all that. I think I remember seeing Ed O'Bannon trying to sue the NCAA, but I'm not sure what's up with that.
Sam Keller is doing the same thing. They are suing over the use of likenesses, mostly focusing on video games. EA Sports is also a nameddefendant.
 
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