College football players have been walking with a spring in their step since Monday, when NCAA president Mark Emmert supported a proposal that would increase student-athlete grants by as much as $2,000 annually.
An advocacy group known as the National College Players Association gathered a petition of 339 athletes in support of a plan which would more accurately reimburse players for the full price tag of attending college.
So here’s my question: In a world that begs for a cure to the plague of boosters and agents, will this proposal be the messiah?
Let me answer by saying Nevin Shapiro won’t be the last spray-tanned tycoon with a hair gel addiction to host a yacht party for college football players.
The proposal wasn’t intended to cure the problem of illegal benefits, though it would be comical if that were the case. Bless Emmert’s heart for attempting to compensate the talent for bringing millions of dollars to schools, TV networks and the NCAA. If athletes choose to turn down tens of thousands of dollars in booster money, it won’t be because they’ve been greased with a couple extra G’s from their university.
I’m a little weary of this new plan. Giving players some extra cash is a nice thought, but it could compound the sense of entitlement so rampant in college football, which could ultimately lead to the acceptance of illegal benefits that will actually make a difference in their lives. If you give a mouse a cookie...
With regards to a solution to the booster and agent problem, I subscribe to Sandra Bullock’s doctrine in “Miss Congeniality.” An undercover FBI agent, Bullock is competing in a beauty pageant interview when host William Shatner asks, “What is the one most important thing our society needs?” While every other contestant drones, “world peace,” Bullock prescribes, “harsher punishment for parole violators.”
The NCAA officials have done a great job of cracking down on universities and players for the illegal flow of benefits — reducing scholarships, vacating wins, post-season bans, etc. Still, I wouldn’t mind seeing them administer the “death penalty” in extreme cases — schools need to understand the weight of this issue.
A version of this article appeared in the Oct 28 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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Word. Excellent commentary Collin
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Great job Colin. I hope you run for office one day with a great attitude like that. It is very heartening to see a young person who is thankful for what he has recieved, instead of being ungrateful. The number of people in society today who feel entitled is way too many. Hopefully your generation can reel that type of thinking back in and lead to more great days for America.
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Ungrateful? Are you kidding me??? Are current college sports system is the one of the most racist things in America today. Sure college athletes get some short term perks. But that is absolutely nothing compared to the great injustices that occur. Colleges take young men, stip them of all their rights (to collectively bargain etc.) use them as profit making machines and then leave them with nothing when they graduate. "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." People need to look at the empirical evidence and not just look at the 100 dollar free gift cards and free meals. The NCAA and BCS feed people this propaganda so they can maintain the status quo so that they can continue to fill their pockets.
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Um, hello, it's called a diploma and there are a lot of folks in this country who don't have one of those. More often than not, it's because they can't afford one. Say what you will about racial injustices in the pros, but granting young men and women athletic scholarships provides them an opportunity many do not have.
That being said, it's an opportunity, which makes graduation the athlete's responsibility. This is no easy task, especially since scholarships are not free money as some may claim. Athletes have to work full-time hours for their sport in addition to completing coursework, hence the scheduling preference they receive during course request.
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You make a good point and it is refreshing to see that as a college athlete yourself, you understand the generous perks you already receive. Very nicely put.
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Colin, you are one heck of a columnist.
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Aside from the writing and the logic, yes
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^^that guy is right
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Your analysis is spot on; as an athlete of a different VT varsity sport I oftentimes find it ludicrous that football and largely basketball get the compensation per game that they do and the stipend at the intervals you indicated while the rest of us have equally rigorous days and receive significantly less in per diem money for after away game food and few if any articles of clothing. My point is this: I play my sport because I love to play. If student-athletes are playing to receive the aforementioned benefits then they are not playing for the right reason. Ultimately, you come to college for the education, and enforcing the death penalty upon programs who fail to acknowledge such would be the perfect way to reiterate that.
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Your analysis is spot on; as an athlete of a different VT varsity sport I oftentimes find it ludicrous that football and largely basketball get the compensation per game that they do and the stipend at the intervals you indicated while the rest of us have equally rigorous days and receive significantly less in per diem money for after away game food and few if any articles of clothing. My point is this: I play my sport because I love to play. If student-athletes are playing to receive the aforementioned benefits then they are not playing for the right reason. Ultimately, you come to college for the education, and enforcing the death penalty upon programs who fail to acknowledge such would be the perfect way to reiterate that.
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Your analysis is spot on; as an athlete of a different VT varsity sport I oftentimes find it ludicrous that football and largely basketball get the compensation per game that they do and the stipend at the intervals you indicated while the rest of us have equally rigorous days and receive significantly less in per diem money for after away game food and few if any articles of clothing. My point is this: I play my sport because I love to play. If student-athletes are playing to receive the aforementioned benefits then they are not playing for the right reason. Ultimately, you come to college for the education, and enforcing the death penalty upon programs who fail to acknowledge such would be the perfect way to reiterate that.
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well done Collin. It really is unfortunate the way college football is headed.
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Excellent article, Collin! You are a phenominal writer and an astounding young man. It is refreshing to hear such appreciation for your scholarship.
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nice comment by your mom Collinduh
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wow i cant believe all you people who are brainwashed by the NCAA. Big-time football and basketball players are giving next to nothing in terms of compensation.They are slaves to the Universities makings ridiculous amount of money for them. Our current system is bona fide indentured servitude!! the NCAA, BCS, and all the power conferences are nothing short of a giant cartel. I can't believe how this author is throwing his teammates, his brothers in arms on the gridiron, under the bus. Also, before responding to me with your ad hominem arguments read this:
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/10/the-shame-of-college-sports/8643/1/
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Everybody in the US should recieve a free ride huh. I don't think so. You get ahead with hard work and morals. The players have already recieved a lot and Colin is pointing that out. He didn't throw anyone under the bus. They should take what they have recieved and use it to their benefit. Most have not recieved as much.
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No everyone in the U.S. should be compensated fairly for their work. Universities take advantage of college athletes, and athletes get practically none of the millions of dollars of profit that these institutions make. D-1 football and basketball players come to college to play sports, not to get an education (there are rare exceptions, Andrew Luck, Myron Rolle etc.). Universities know this, and make it as easy as possible for athletes to pass their courses so that they can focus on playing sports and bringing in the profit. Our current system is broken. It must be fixed, now I'm not saying we should give athletes a couple thousand dollars as payment. But athletes should be able to sell their own jerseys, sign contracts with Nike, Under Armour etc. Colleges force amateurism on athletes so they can get all the profit. College sports needs to be more like the Olympics, as those athletics are still "amateurs" but they can sign endorsement deals and all that other stuff. This is a very very complex issue, and there are no simple solutions but we need to move on from our current draconian system. Again read the Atlantic article (there is also a book by the same author), it covers all the issues very comprehensibly.
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Jason: My question to you would be did you play a Varsity college sport??? I happened to and had almost next-to-none of the benefits that Collin is pointing out here, much less a 20 hour week. We were much closer to 30-35 hours per week. The problem with the way you are looking at this is you are only thinking of one sport (maybe 2). Where do you think all of the money comes from to benefit the athletes that play sports (that aren't as popular) such as golf, cross country, etc?? Just because college football is a money maker doesn't mean the athletes are or should be entitled to anything other than their scholarship. Do you have any knowledge of what an athletics Graduate Assistant makes per semester? It's about $800 - $1200 a month depending on where you are. That isn't a whole lot of money either, but there are people lining up through the door for these positions. People play and are a part of sports b/c they LOVE them. I think you need to turn off the television for a moment and think about what is being said in this column. How much money do you think college athletes would be making straight out of high school if they weren't in college? Maybe 20K - 25K? And how many would be on the streets or end up in a worse situation b/c they don't have all that a scholarship athlete has.
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Continued...
My point is, that while these athletes are in college, they are WORKING (in the classroom and on the field/court/etc.) to better themselves and put themselves in a position to be successful in the working world. Don't forget that 1% or less of college athletes go pro... It doesn't matter if the athletes are going to college to learn or to try to get big quick, that is on them, and they shouldn't be given an ounce more than they get now. You put your time in and you move on. That is how the REAL world works and it shouldn't be forgotten so fast.
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Yes I did play 2 varsity sports(baseball and football), but I wasn't generating millions of dollar of profit. But you make a very good point. Athletes should play for the love of the game. However, players should be able to make deals with companies and sell jerseys, for perhaps a little extra cash to help put food on the table back home or pay the mortgage. The fact is we need to change our system, if we dont we will still have under the table dealings and players getting bribed to go to certain schools. Craking down does not work, the ncaa does not put their money where their mouth is (no more death penaltys, conveniently reinstating Cam Newton before BCS bowl, etc.). I agree that people should play sports because they love to play, but when schools profit so much it is unjust. That is why the NCAA is willing to look the other way in many cases as they are worried about their power. Everything is about money, no playoff system: money, conference realignment: money, forced amateurism: money.Lastly I would agree that college athletes work to better themselves on the field and in the classroom. But universities make it is so easy for athletes to do well in the classroom and just get by. Indeed it is very very difficult to play D-1 football or basketball and take a meaningful workload in college. But I would say many don't (just an observation).
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When these athletes leave the universities and don't go pro they are left with a not so meaningful diploma and no heath benefits etc. Look at the Olympics, they are all amateur athletes yet they can still make money off sponsorships and do commercials. I'm not saying that every D-1 football player should get a paycheck every week, but they deserve more legal and economic rights.
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Jason, you argue that the system is busted (which I believe) and that athletes should be able to make deals with companies to sell memorabilia. Alright, I'll buy that.
But then you go on to talk about how when these kids leave school and don't go pro they are left with a not so meaningful diploma and no health insurance. I would ask you this... isn't that degree better than no degree at all? What if the guy who didn't make the NFL had gotten no scholarship at all? And don't forget, VT graduates have access to Gradmed health insurance which, yes, you PAY for, but it's reasonable. Wouldn't the guy with no degree be in a much worse situation?
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Bob, even if athletes would be worse off with no scholarship, that does not justify your argument. Just because they would be worse off does not mean anything. That is like saying miners working could have worse working conditions so no more regulations will be put in place. As with the health benefits, I am not an expert on those issues. But I have a problem with an athlete suffering from a life debilitating injury and then having to go to court down the road to get the university to pay for medical expenses.
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Awesome article.
A little jealous of the VT footballer's fortune...
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You may be wary (watchful or cautious) or leery (distrustful or suspicious), but I seriously doubt you are "weary (exhausted) of the new plan." Come on. Writer? Editor? Proof-reader?
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Someone commenting on grammar should really do a better job with their own comment.
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Hey DK, thanks. What did I bungle? My spelling looks good, I managed a comma before the "but," and while the parenthetical phrases are not exactly phrases they convey the spirit of the comment quite well. Heck, I even managed an Oxford Comma is this reply. Is your concern with my grammar/spelling or calling Collin, and by extension the CT editors, on a ridiculous spelling mistake?
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Dan Mc, I think your attempt to explain his incorrect word selection actually went over most people's heads. He chose the word "weary" when he probably meant "wary" or "leery". Unfortunately, grammar and word usage are not taught well in public institutions, so fewer and fewer folks even recognize errors after they are pointed out.
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Dan Mc, I think your attempt to explain his incorrect word selection actually went over most people's heads. He chose the word "weary" when he probably meant "wary" or "leery". Unfortunately, grammar and word usage are not taught well in public institutions, so fewer and fewer folks even recognize errors after they are pointed out.
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Ungrateful? Are you kidding me??? Are current college sports system is the one of the most racist things in America today. Sure college athletes get some short term perks. But that is absolutely nothing compared to the great injustices that occur. Colleges take young men, stip them of all their rights (to collectively bargain etc.) use them as profit making machines and then leave them with nothing when they graduate. "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." People need to look at the empirical evidence and not just look at the 100 dollar free gift cards and free meals. The NCAA and BCS feed people this propaganda so they can maintain the status quo so that they can continue to fill their pockets.
Leave them with nothing when they graduate?!
THEY ARE GETTING A DEGREE. GET WITH IT.
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They get a degree, but it isn't worth very much
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Isn't that their fault for not taking serious classes and wasting the opportunity they are being given?
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Very interesting take on the subject, and I applaud your common sense approach. Three things that aren't really disagreements, just further thoughts:
1. One thing that's missing right now for players is security. Most schools will turn a player away, even in the middle of a NCAA career, if that player doesn't suit the school's needs. I know this is being addressed somewhat, but I favor the Gregg-Easterbrook-backed plan of mandating 4-year scholarships for any athlete.
2. 19 hours per week? Is that really the amount of time a typical player spends on football? I played soccer, which I imagine has far less demanding schedule, and I spent at least 20 to 30 hours per week when you include travel. Not to mention the offseason and "voluntary" training.
3. Exploitation. I'm not so worried about players being mistreated by being underpaid - as you say, the players by and large can get by just fine. What I'm worried about is schools and the BCS taking in money hand over fist while the players only see a tiny fraction of that. My partial solution would be to set up an interest-bearing scholarship fund for each player (say, the equivalent to the amount of tuition at the school, if not more) that is available to the player and his/her immediate family in the future.
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Agreed, especially with your 3rd point. They are not getting exploited in the short term as they get a lot of benefits and perks. But in the long term the athletes get the short end of the stick, while the NCAA and BCS walk away with millions of dollars of profit.
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Only 22 Of 120 Division I Athletic Programs Made Money Last Year (2010)
Read more: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-06-15/sports/29966743_1_expenses-basketball-program-revenue#ixzz1d89ey9ZU
http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-06-15/sports/29966743_1_expenses-basketball-program-revenue
"Naturally, football is by far the biggest factor, generating 45 percent of all revenue, which then must pay for the rest of the athletic teams. However, nearly 51 football programs in the FBS (43%) fail to turn a profit.
Other quick facts:
--58% of football programs and 56% of men's basketball programs are self-sufficient. Only 1 women's basketball program is.
--The two biggest drivers of athletic revenue are ticket sales and alumni donations.
--The two biggest expenses are scholarships and employee salaries. Those two items alone make up more than 50% of all expenses.
--The median athletic expense per student athlete is $90,000. At a school in the FCS (the old I-AA), it's $33,000."
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The problem with this piece is that it looks at it as though there are only two parties: university and player. It's a fine piece from that perspective, but it ignores the issue that actually leads to most of the penalties and reprimands: boosters.
The University needs to save its money to pay for the other sports? Fine. It would be too insane to recruit if there were bidding? Fine. But none of that explains why people outside the school can't spend their own hard-earned money on student-athletes, or why the athletes can't capitalize on their talents by doing endorsements. Who gets hurt, exactly, when people freely contract like that?
If an econ whiz kid worked part time for an investment fund while earning his degree on academic scholarship, and made a boatload of money with his unique talents, that would be great. An athlete makes money with his unique talents: shame and scandal.
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At the end of the day, you and Collin are entitled to your own opinions. Still, I take Collin any day of the week and on Saturdays! How many college students are as appreciative of their opportunities? How many view their college years as an opportunity to hone money management skills? How many write that well?! My hunch is you will be commenting on Collin's articles for years to come. While I enjoy Collin's uplifting commentary, I have grown weary of you.
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"Would every kid get the same contract? If not, players would whine, become jealous, and the game would completely lose its innocence.
Title IX activists would have a cow. Enough said."
Yes it would cause us inconvenience and we'd have to rethink things, so lets instead just have someone else make the money the players are earning for them, keeps things simple! Totally the best option!
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Think about this does a college softball player ruin her body the same way a college football player does. No and combine that with the revenue generated by football games and youll start to see why these players deserve compensation while there counterparts unfortunately do not.
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