With all the attention Maurice Clarett's arrest has brought on the problems associated with college athletics, I thought it would be interesting to get some different opinions regarding the "student athlete", his role at his institution, and the controversial issue of whether student-athletes should be paid, and how.First let's lay down a couple of givens: First, the men's football programs, and ACC men's basketball, underwrite all other sports teams at that university or college. Without men's football, there would be no sports other than at the club level. Second, college scholarship athletes are forbidden by the NCAA from working other than in institutional work-study programs which are limited. Third, elite athletes are surrounded constantly by unscrupulous alumni, agents, and bettors telling them how much they are worth and offering them obscene amounts of cash. Fourth, let's not delude ourselves into thinking that the elite athletes are in school for any reason other than to go pro at some point...they aren't and everybody knows that. The athlete, his parents, the coaches, the administration, and the fans know it. He's there to win games, and while he's not winning games he can kill time by attending class until the next game. Finally, any solution would have to be workable at all NCAA governed institutions big and small.
The big question: Given that these student-athletes bring in millions of dollars to the university, is it appropriate to offer them some sort of financial incentive since they are in a very real sense a university employee? Popular reader to this blog "Reid", chimed in earlier with this suggestion which prompted this post...
The NCAA allows each school to state a value for a scholarship (ex: $40,000 for a four year ride at Alabama). Then each scholaship athlete is given an account at the university credit union. These students write checks for tuition, housing, etc. They can purchase new or used books at the U book store, this gives each student some spending freedom. Each week or twice a month, the athletic department issues a paycheck to these athletes at some $/hour rate. Hours "worked" are based off of practice time, game time, off season workouts, and most importantly study hall time. This allows an institution the flexibiliy to spend funds " in season" and decrease expenses in the off season. It also allows the student to learn budgeting, how to balance a checkbook, financial decision making, etc. The football program still funds all minor sports, but this system eliminates all the neglecting of minor sports. Partial scholarship people are reduced by the percentage of scholarship. Simple, easy to manage by the member institutions, and good for the athletes.
Tell me why this will not work?
If any of you have ideas about solving the problems with big-time college athletics, I'd love to hear them and we can discuss.
7 comments:
Good topic. Why choose the picture of the Georgia bulldog attacking the Auburn player? I feel that you are profiling Auburn fans and players. Needlessly I might add - They do enough wrong on their own and do not need help.
Now Big picture. It won't happen, because all these institutions enjoy tax benifits and a large cash income stream. I do not believe for a millisecond that all dollar bills turned in at these events are counted. secondly, who would pay for these salaries. The fans thats who Tickets would have a significant jump in price to cover the salaries of the players (even a little salary). Some smaller schools would not be able to keep up with the $ and would move to another level of the game .
What happens is what should already have happened: Division 1 exists with about 100 teams. All basically competing on the same level. The balance of D1 goes to D2, D3, or NAIA with out financial remuneration for the kids.
Alabama fans can quit worrying about UAB - They will be at the lower level. So will Samford, BSC, USA, Troy. One of the 3 Mississippi schools will also drop down probably. You gotta have cash to play in the bigs.
D1 now goes back to unlimited scholarships(finances dictate limits), and the college football world is right again. Alabama, USC, Notre Dame, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, and an occasional also-ran always play for the championship. D1 tickets are about $200-300 per ticket with your seat license and your Fan Support (tIde Pride )roughly included. Stadiums get bigger; more and more TV games daily; Costs rise as expenses do and we start skyrocketing out of control!
Oh my bad this system is already out of control.
I say lets scrap the whole dadgum thing and start it over. No scholarships. If you want to play ball, then do it 'cause you love it and your school. Let's get an education and eliminate the Clarett's of the world. Money has turned this sport from a business into a big business.
Your list of yearly national championship contenders is flawed...you included Alabama. The only thing they've contended for lately is continuing sanctions for the Albert Means affair.
Last time I checked, much to my chagrin, Alabama still has 11 National Championships (disputed Or not), and therefore must be considered as a player if we go to the big money sweepstakes level. I remember back in the 70's when Bear would stockpile recruits with about 200-300 scholarships. I cannot believe the the Rad Elephant Boys wouldn't pony up for Shula, if they knew they could put a strangehold on the Auburn future and at the same time bring a few more gold rings to T- Town.
By the way is Logan Young really dead or did the Alabama faithful set that up to have a complete unlimited cash flow.
I'm no sports fan and I couldn't tell a D1 from a D2 nor can I tell you any rankings or stats other than the food at ball games is obscenely expensive. It should not be a suprise that I would like to see academic institutions, i.e. colleges be just that. Sports are a fun diversion from academics. Our educational system was our last big competitive advantage. People flocked to the U.S for the chance to get the best education. PC and sports (especially in the South) are dumbing us down. Next stop: Spongebob U!
It is my belief that you can still receive world-class, second-to-none education and training here in America. Otherwise you wouldn't still have students from every country in the world applying to get in here.
Sports shouldn't be a substitute for learning but I don't blame sports for the poor academic ranking of the HS seniors in the US. I blame the dreadful government education monopoly.
If you look at the stats, 1st graders in the US outperform most 1st graders in other countries, but for every year they spend in the wretched government school system, their world ranking plummets, until thay are seniors and they rank near the bottom.
Government schools don't teach anymore. They are indoctrination centers for political correctness, wacko environmentalism, and jobs retention programs for teachers.
That's not to let absent, self-absorbed parents and Hollywood off the hook though. They bear a lot of the blame as well.
the US continues to churn out the best and brightest minds in the world. It's just that we don't see them because they are busy inovating and creating wealth. The products of US schools we see are Paris, Britney, and Tommy Lee. Of course their generation looks abysmally stupid and lazy...their representatives are.
Who's is John Galt?
Well said...
I just, this weekend, went back and re-read John Galt's speech at the end of Atlas Shrugged.
Timeless and inspiring as always.
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