They do get all that, but the question is, are they being paid their fair share?   Billions of dollars are being made on these college athletes, especially football players.   It's about dividing up the pie. 

99% of college athletees are making out like bandits. The 1% like JFF, Clowney, Winston, etc...they are worth more than the estimated 250k that each player gets over the course of their college athletic career but they are the very miniscule minority. 

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The biggest problem is, where is the line? Like I said above, a very small portion of the students are actually worth more than their scholarship. Then you go to basketball, baseball, golf, swimming, and keep on going. Where is the line, because those minor sports are majorly in the red. 

 

And you know as soon as something does get done the women are going to file hella big Title IX lawsuits to get paid themselves, and then pandora's box gets flung all the way open. No one wants that. 

 

The only real solution that seems feasible, keep it as is as far as the NCAA is concerned, but if you are a big enough star to get paid for your autograph, car dealership sponsorships, etc outside and separate from the NCAA then good for them and let that be legal. If you aren't then that's the natural way to tell you that your scholarship is what you are worth. 

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The only real solution that seems feasible, keep it as is as far as the NCAA is concerned, but if you are a big enough star to get paid for your autograph, car dealership sponsorships, etc outside and separate from the NCAA then good for them and let that be legal. If you aren't then that's the natural way to tell you that your scholarship is what you are worth. 

 

That sounds too logical.

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It really is amazing that some of these college athletes think they should be payed.

 

By participating in major college athletics, they receive:

 

-a free ride (a scholarship that is worth ~$120,000)

-free room and board

-meal plans

-free clothing, shoes, etc. provided by the team

-travel all over the country

 

They pretty much have it made already.

I would agree with you except for 2 things:

 

1) They don't get a full scholarship. If you research alot of players can and have lost their scholarship due to poor performance or injury. Its basically like an NFL contract it is not a guaranteed thing. If it was I would totaly agree with you.

 

2) They aren't allowed to get jobs. Tons of college kids get scholarships, but only the athletic ones aren't allowed to work. I know college wants to control "kids" being abused. But to say someone is not allowed to make money by either getting a job or off their name and likeness is just asanine.

 

If these 2 things weren't a problem then I wouldn't agree that schools should pay the athletes.

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College kids already get stipends. I went to Vandy so I follow them pretty closely. Colleges these days give out ID cards to all students. These ID cards are used not only as identification but are used as a card swipe to enter certain buildings as well as basically a debit card. Normal students have to put their own money(or their parents money) on these cards. Not the football players, at least not at Vandy. Every week they start with 500 bucks. At the end of the week, whatever is left, that number refreshes to 500 bucks. Where can you use that student card? Obviously anywhere on campus. Vandy's campus has a number of foodmarts that sell basic necessities. Milk, cereal, ramen noodles, etc.. Campus also has a chick-fil-a among other fast food spots. You can use it at the bookstore of course. So like any college bookstore you can buy clothes, computer games, music, etc.... But you can also use those ID cards at local spots near campus. Certain restaurants. Certain clothing stores. Movie theatres. Gas stations. etc, etc, etc... And of course that doesnt even consider the fact that they get their main meals for free at the athletic cafeteria! So the idea that these poor kids are starving and dont have money and blah blah seems so laughable to me.


This argument always turns into some Karl Marx wannabe bashing rich people. The funny thing is, the majority of college athletic departments out there lose money. Everybody sees Oregon's new football facility and they hear about how much Saban makes and dont realize that the overwhelming majority of athletic departments arent profitable.

Ya, I mean only a select few colleges really rake in the dough


Arkansas State is not going to like paying players. Ha

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Question...are these kids brought in to learn or to play football to maintain the prestige of the University? Also what do you think is more important. Is it more important Jadeveon Clowney gets a great education or he helps SoCar sell tickets, merchandise, and compete for the SEC title?

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<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/07/us/ncaa-athletes-reading-scores/'>http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/07/us/ncaa-athletes-reading-scores/</a>



Student-athletes who can't read well, but play in the money-making collegiate sports of football and basketball, are not a new phenomenon, and they certainly aren't found only at UNC-Chapel Hill.


A CNN investigation found public universities across the country where many students in the basketball and football programs could read only up to an eighth-grade level. The data obtained through open records requests also showed a staggering achievement gap between college athletes and their peers at the same institution.


This is not an exhaustive survey of all universities with major sports programs; CNN chose a sampling of public universities where open records laws apply. We sought data from a total of 37 institutions, of which 21 schools responded. The others denied our request for entrance exam or aptitude test scores, some saying the information did not exist and others citing privacy rules. Some simply did not provide it in time.....

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If anything they should pay more for the free training they're getting.

 

Without it, nearly all of them would never get paid their millions in the pros.

 

All the while, being prepared by the best coaching and facilities there is to offer at no cost to them.

 

With the time they put in and no time for an outside job, one could suggest they have some walking around cash, but really... so much is taken care of for them already.

 

Do you think these schools are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts? Do you have any idea have few college football players (from all divisions) make it to the NFL?

 

I assume you also understand that scholarships are a year to year deal. What happens if his scholarship is pulled? Think he has the resources to stay in school? Think the school cares?

 

Everyone is making money off the athlete, except the athlete.

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The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.

Do you think these schools are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts? Do you have any idea have few college football players (from all divisions) make it to the NFL?

 

I assume you also understand that scholarships are a year to year deal. What happens if his scholarship is pulled? Think he has the resources to stay in school? Think the school cares?

 

Everyone is making money off the athlete, except the athlete.

Student loans are available for everyone.

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What in the Wide Wide World of Sports is agoin' on here???

Do you think these schools are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts? Do you have any idea have few college football players (from all divisions) make it to the NFL?

 

I assume you also understand that scholarships are a year to year deal. What happens if his scholarship is pulled? Think he has the resources to stay in school? Think the school cares?

 

Everyone is making money off the athlete, except the athlete.

 

Most students don't have the resources to stay in school and they somehow manage. Most football players don't get any athletic scholarships so he can do what those guys do.

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From what I've heard this isn't even about money, its about being represented when decisions are made.

My phone says: "the decision to unionize is about covering medical bills and protecting players (I.E. scholarship protection): not "pay to play"

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Any stats out there regarding injured players having their scholarship taken?  I was under the impression that if you had a scholarship for a sport and got injured the school wouldn't yank it.

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Any stats out there regarding injured players having their scholarship taken?  I was under the impression that if you had a scholarship for a sport and got injured the school wouldn't yank it.

Most don't, unless your name is Nick Saban.

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These guys are students in name only. 

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It's fine with me if they become paid athletes, then they can pay their own tuition, room and board.

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I agree with foo895...fine pay them for playing college sports...but then charge them tuition, room and board, books, ect...and see how many make it work...probably a lot less than do now.

 

Also where does this stop...college players today...HS players tomorrow?

 

These kids get a free education...some thing that others who can't play a sport can't even afford even WITH loans...student loans, grants, ect rarely cover 100% of the students needs.

 

Also while some players are encouraged not to work these are typically the upper echelon of players and as pointed out these I am sure are already getting stipends and/or perks already...not to mention if a player is an upper echelon sports player they will get drafted a few years after leaving HS and will make more in a few years than a lot of Americans make in their life time...

 

If you want to get paid to play a sport then go get paid...your skills/talents are getting you for free what 99% of the other students in college have to pay for...the problem is that the majority of these "student" athletes don't actually pursue a viable degree and instead just get the easiest thing they can so that they can stay in school.

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These kids get a free education...some thing that others who can't play a sport can't even afford even WITH loans...student loans, grants, ect rarely cover 100% of the students needs.


If you want to get paid to play a sport then go get paid...your skills/talents are getting you for free what 99% of the other students in college have to pay for...the problem is that the majority of these "student" athletes don't actually pursue a viable degree and instead just get the easiest thing they can so that they can stay in school.

 

Duece...I think your points are misguided.

 

As I brought out I don't think student athletes should be paid. The reason they are allowed to attend school on scholarship is because their athletic abilities.

 

The problem I have is that the NCAA also restricts student athletes from getting a job or making money off their name and likeness. If the NCAA is saying they can't get work elsewhere then they need to pay them.

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What if they are paid and we forget about the tuition? Just pay them straight up as athletes and have an opt out clause. 

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What if they are paid and we forget about the tuition? Just pay them straight up as athletes and have an opt out clause. 

You do realize scholarships are nothing to the school, right. And I am sure if they starting paying athletes they would have agents. And most guys would have that included as part of their deals.

 

Just let these guys make their own money its much, much simpler.

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The problem I have is that the NCAA also restricts student athletes from getting a job or making money off their name and likeness. If the NCAA is saying they can't get work elsewhere then they need to pay them.

 

Its such a tricky issue. 

 

Having the NCAA paying players opens up all sorts of issues.  Do all athletes get paid or just football players?  If just football players would what that do as far as Title 9?  Most athletic departments barely break even.  So would schools without much resources be forced to pay or would only money making sports?  How do we define a money making sport?  Will the NCAA of armies of accountants going over the books of each sport for each school to determine which players deserve money and which ones dont?  Or will we just leave it up to the school to decide which athletes they pay and which ones they wont?  And again how does Title 9 come into play? 

 

Lets say we dont go that route but instead let college athletes make money on the side. Of course the end result would be an open bidding war on all players and recruits.  Would the NCAA try to enact some sort of rule saying where they can make money and where they cant?  And how would they enforce that any beter than they are now?  I've heard Jay Bilas argue that you can regulate against athletes getting paid 500k for mowing some guys lawn.  But you couldnt regulate against a guy like T Boone Pickens from putting every single freshman recruiting class on a billboard promoting T Boone Oil and Gas and pay them hundreds of thousands of dollars each.  Advertising dollars generate big bucks so thats a legitimate business venture.  If you let these athletes make money on the side, I dont think you would be able to regulate it.  Maybe by itself there is nothing wrong with that but I think what it would do is further expand the gap between the haves and have nots.  Which again, may not necessarily be a bad thing.  I think youd have the potential for a school loaded with money, like Oregon, telling some kid theyll get him a sweet job working at Nike paying him 500k a year in advertisements if he would transfer to their school.  It would be open season on transfers. 

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Scouting well is all that matters.  Draft philosophy is all fluff.