Should College football players be paid?

[dalbuc]

A player can't get a summer job, because most take summer classes.  And while there aren't official practices, there are constant workouts.  I know a DT for a D1 schools who's summer schedule included 3 classes, daily workouts, plus community outreach, so no, he couldn't get a job.

No, most of them don't take summer classes - some do just like normal students.  In the case of your DT, he made a bad choice just like I would have if I'd taken a full class load and done volunteer work because as a non-athlete I wouldn't have been able to get a job either.

Workouts, good news everyone -- millions of Americans workout all the time and make it work around their life schedule. This is like listening to teachers say they have a year round job because they take classes in the summer like no one else in the world takes classes AND works at the same time.

The difference is that athletes need to get that summer job to have a bit of coin to take their dates out real students need to get a job to pay for stuff like food and to start saving up to pay off the massive loan debt they'll have when they leave school.

[dalbuc]

Actually, grad students can play football, as long as they haven't used all their eligibilty. 

And to answer your question, why do normal students need extra cash on top of the thousands worth of living and schooling they receive?  Because they want to have a life outside the college campus.  They want to afford to be able to go to movies, or take a girl out to dinner.  But they can't do that.  And at the same time, the university is selling their jerseys in the bookstore for $70 and the players aren't seeing a dime of it.  In any other setting, this would be illegal.  But because you slap the random term "amateur" on them, they can't make any money while they're in college.

Ford pays you money and then sells a car that you helped build and that sale pays for your salary. That's ok, right? Good, the university sells merch and tickets in order to cover the compensation that they give those athletes. There, see how nice that all is?

[TheAman]

And what about forcing the players to become walking billboards, like they are for Chik-Fil-A in the Boise/Georgia game?  Where does that fall under amateurism?

[Runole]

And what about forcing the players to become walking billboards, like they are for Chik-Fil-A in the Boise/Georgia game?  Where does that fall under amateurism?

There is a real simple answer... If you don't like the opportunities that are incredible for the college football player don't become one!  No one is forcing anyone to become a football player with all its perks if they don't want to.


The college athlete ( football especially ) are treated like royalty and are given opportunities that no normal "REAL" academic student could even dream.

Don't like the system don't become a part of it.

[TheAman]

That's not answering my question though.  Why is it ok to make these players advertise for organizations, have the schools/conferences make money off of it, but if the players see a dime of the money that, for example, Chik-Fil-A gave Georgia and Boise State to wear their logo, it's against the rules.  It's hypocritical at best.  I get it, you think that players get enough money.  I think that with all the hypocrisy in college sports they should see more.  I don't like the fact that AJ Green gets suspended for giving a game-worn jersey to a dealer, while Boise State sells game worn jerseys in their bookstore.  Meet some players, talk to some of of them, and then tell me honestly you don't think they should see a little more money.

[John Galt?]

That's not answering my question though.  Why is it ok to make these players advertise for organizations, have the schools/conferences make money off of it, but if the players see a dime of the money that, for example, Chik-Fil-A gave Georgia and Boise State to wear their logo, it's against the rules.  It's hypocritical at best.

I have to agree with you that the walking billboard thing was going to far. Either the teams don't make their players wear ads or the players should be allowed some sort of bonus stipend because of it. The problem I'd have would be one player getting $X for having a Chik-Fil-A logo, and another (like the QB) getting $3X. Another problem is Title IX, if football players get extra because of a logo/sponsorship, the school has to make sure that some women's sports gets an equal deal.

It is not a simple thing to just give FB players more $$$, there is a clusterflab of NCAA, Federal, and State rules that have to be considered. You can't JUST give FB players more, you have to make it the same for all student athletes, especially females (Title IX)

[TheAman]

Which is why I have always argued for the Olympic model.  And I know there are potential issues with it, especially regarding boosters, however, it takes away the colleges from having to pay, it takes away the Title IX issues, and it allows players to make the money they deserve.

[Runole]

That's not answering my question though.  Why is it ok to make these players advertise for organizations, have the schools/conferences make money off of it, but if the players see a dime of the money that, for example, Chik-Fil-A gave Georgia and Boise State to wear their logo, it's against the rules.  It's hypocritical at best.  I get it, you think that players get enough money.  I think that with all the hypocrisy in college sports they should see more.  I don't like the fact that AJ Green gets suspended for giving a game-worn jersey to a dealer, while Boise State sells game worn jerseys in their bookstore.  Meet some players, talk to some of of them, and then tell me honestly you don't think they should see a little more money.

Schools are tax exempt.   

Players aren't.


I agree the commercialization of CFB is sickening and hypocritical just like the whole bowl game "Charity" thing is a total farce.  CFB needs to have a playoff and put the bowl games back to what they were in the beginning... "A reward for a successful season" instead of a money grubbing entity that tacks season ticket guarantees to its product.  It is reprehensible that both Oklahoma and UCONN had to pay over 5 million back to the Fiesta bowl for unused tickets!!

I also think it it disgusting that bowl exec gets paid 500 K for putting one game a year? Outrageous along with the fact that each BCS commish gets a 1 million dollar bonus from the BCS every year!

A real playoff with games held at the home field of the higher seed would clean up a lot of this nonsense.  CFB is rotten to the core in the way money is distributed.
A few individuals are making an absolute killing every year at every FBS schools expense.

That still doesn't mean that the sport should be corrupted further by paying players.  That would just make it worse.

[dalbuc]

And what about forcing the players to become walking billboards, like they are for Chik-Fil-A in the Boise/Georgia game?  Where does that fall under amateurism?

It is called paying for them and all their free ride cohorts at school that's where it falls. Again, very few athletic departments are self-sustaining let alone profit centers. If athletes don't like being "exploited" they are more than welcome to not get paid for playing their game. They can try and get a scholarship the old fashioned way and then play some intramural. They don't want that they want a special dorm (nicer than the usual students), a special dining hall (again nicer),  they want a fancy weight room the other students can't use, they want a nice new stadium or arena, they want their own advisers, tutors and counselors that other students can't access. In other words, athletes consume an enormous amount of resources - basically duplicating numerous other university functions - while they are at school. While they are busy sucking down resources a tiny few of them (a handful of football and mens basketball programs plus the UConn's women's team) actually cover the expenses of the team they are on let alone the whole cost of the athletic department that has to sustain all the non-revenue sports.

[TheAman]

This is the last I'll post on it, because we're just posting the same things over and over. 

This is the fundamental difference.  You believe they already are being paid, via scholarship, housing, etc. (which actually isn't better than any other students, they just usually have upperclassmen housing as a freshman).  I just believe they deserve to be paid more.  But when it comes down to it, amateurism is bogus, because they're already being paid by the schools...I just think it should be more.

[Runole]

This is the last I'll post on it, because we're just posting the same things over and over. 

This is the fundamental difference.  You believe they already are being paid, via scholarship, housing, etc. (which actually isn't better than any other students, they just usually have upperclassmen housing as a freshman).  I just believe they deserve to be paid more.  But when it comes down to it, amateurism is bogus, because they're already being paid by the schools...I just think it should be more.

'

It is obvious that a completely paid college education is worth little to you. It is better than any other students because those students actually had to accomplish something to earn that scholarship that is given for free to the majority of athletes that have no business even being in an institution of higher learning.
Just by being a football player the opportunities for jobs around the state for an FSU UM or UF football player are there for the taking at a very nice salary.

Try doing that if you are just a great student at one of the schools and are looking for some doors to be opened.  You want to add 25- 50 a week it might be doable.

Question what do they need that money for?  They already have food clothing  and room and all their classes paid for?  There are plenty of Pell Grants and other stuff available.

[John Galt?]

1996 UF roster included the following players-

Noah Brindise- QB- now owner Brindise Enterprises medical devises
Dwayne Mobley- RB- now teacher
Elijah Williams-RB now HC Oak Ridge High School
Jerome Evans-FB- now Real Estate Atty
Ernie Dubose-FB- now project manager Sarasota Co. School Bd
Ian Skinner-WR-now CPA with Price Waterhouse
Ryan Kalich-OL- now owns Kalich Demolition and Construction
Scott Bryan-OL- now Director, Business Development at ACM Global Central Laboratory
Wyley Ritch-OL- now insurance adjuster
Corey Yarbrough-OL now teacher and FB coach in Jax
Todd Holland-OL now Attorney
Teddy Sims-DL- now has State Farm office
Matt Teague-P- now Attorney
Robby Stevenson-K- Lt Manatee Co. sheriff's dept.
Bart Edmiston-K- now Dr. Edmiston- Anesthesiology
Mike Younkin-LS- now Spinal & Orthopaedic Medical Device Consultant
Fred Hagberg-LS- now COO at Ground Breakers
Daryl Owens-LB- Information Systems Citibank
Keith Council-DL- Allstate

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All these guys were undrafted but because they took advantage of the FREE education they all now have promising careers.

Brian Schottenheimer was also in that class, should he have been paid??

[TBayXXXVII]

Q-  Why is it that the only sports we hear about this as an issue is football and basketball? 
A-  It's because they are the only sports where this is an issue. 

Q-  How come no other athletes are having this same problem?
A-  Because they aren't greedy punks who feel they are entitled to special treatment

Q-  Is football and basketball the only sports that have time restrictions and time requirements?
A-  No, they all have the same.

Q-  Then why are athletes of other sports getting jobs and not complaining about money?
A-  EXACTLY!!