The NCAA says paying athletes hurts their education. That's laughable.

[doniceage]

When it comes to preventing young athletes from earning a fair share of the more than $8 billion a year generated by college sports, the National Collegiate Athletic Association is akin to a moralizing street mugger.

It's not enough for the organization to flash a knife and demand players' wallets; it also has to tell everyone within earshot that, no, actually, empty pockets are good. That's how the NCAA argues that its amateurism rules - which limit player compensation to tuition, room, board and small cost-of-living stipends, but do not restrict sports administrators such as Alabama football coach Nick Saban from collecting millions — are necessary and justified because they protect and enhance athletes' educations.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...920-story.html

[blackhorseson]

It's all a bunch of bull. Pay the players, maybe it will help them adjust a little bit when they turn pro, learning how to manage their money, and cuts back the fat cat paychecks if the goons running the NCAA into the ground.

[Letch77]

I'm not opposed to giving NCAA athletes an amount equivalent to what a traditional student would earn at a part-time job while in school plus a full-time job over the summer. I am, however, opposed to making them millionaires. I believe that a majority of the revenue from college athletics goes to non-athletic aspects of university improvements.

If it ever happens, I fear it'll be a messed up situation because the NCAA probably wouldn't think it through. The only way it would work is to be totally equal about it, and not just pay football and basketball players.

Here is what would need to happen:

1. Every D1 athlete, across every sport, across every D1 college would be paid the exact same "wage". No school could pay more than another and no school could pay only their money-making sports. I don't care if the women's diving team doesn't make any revenue for the school...EVERY athlete would be paid the same.

2. At about any college, the sports that thrive often subsidize those that struggle. That needs to continue. I'm not sure what the criteria is for colleges keeping individual sports, but it would need to continue, as well. Could be that there has to be an equal number of women's sports as there are men's (I believe this is the case for athletic scholarships), but whatever it is, it should remain the same.

3. Athletes that receive a scholarship should receive a reduced amount of pay that, again, is the same throughout all of D1. This reduced amount would help keep the field level for walk-on athletes that are also paying their own way through school, but will never receive a pro athlete payday.

I used D1 as a reference above, but I feel that the other divisions would have the same rules apply to their respective divisions.

[jplcom]

I remember reading an idea that described putting potential salary/earnings into an escrow which would fully vest after graduating from college. Leaving early would take a portion out. Getting a career ending injury would fully vested the escrowed money.

[doniceage]

I remember reading an idea that described putting potential salary/earnings into an escrow which would fully vest after graduating from college. Leaving early would take a portion out. Getting a career ending injury would fully vested the escrowed money.

If you can find a link to the article I would love to read it.

Don

[jplcom]

If you can find a link to the article I would love to read it.

http://www.espn.com/college-football...udent-athletes - 9th paragraph down (Sheesh, don't these writers know to start with their thesis at the beginning?!). 11/2013

http://www.espn.com/college-sports/s...udent-athletes - this one has several suggestions including the escrow. 07/2011

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertai...or-all/236809/ - this columnist suggests allowing athletes to be allowed to simply make endorsement deals. They keep amateur status, colleges don't pay, and the star players (who generate the most money for these non-profit programs) get some sort of compensation. 04/2011

[TooMuchBuffness]

I'm going to be writing a research paper on why it is good to pay athletes. Anyone have multiple sources collaborating it? Would save me a ton of time lol.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Sports Card Forum mobile app

[Jameis1of1]

I've always thought the first step and something that could be done instantly is that every university has an insurance policy in place for each athlete that's value is tied to their projected draft position and the rookie scale contract that would come with it ... for example, if Ed Oliver were to suffer a career-ending injury this season, his university-paid-for insurance policy wouid pay him around $25mil as that's probabky what the 1st overall pick would receive on his rookie contract,

Also, I definitely believe players should be able to profit from their own likeness and name, in the way of sports cards, video-games, autograph signings, commercials, etc.

[doniceage]

@jplcom

Thanks!!

Love the escrow idea. Even thought it was pretty cool of Spurrier idea and other coaches of giving their players a stipend out of their own paycheck.

DON