Petition to Allow Collegiate Players to Receive Compensation

[2LeTTeRS]

Here's an except from an article I wrote on the subject. Everybody check it out and tell me what you think or hit my blog for other articles >>>> http://esquiresports.blogspot.com.

by Kevin L Davis, Esq. (@EsquireSports)

For those that don’t know, the NCAA has rules which require players to be amateurs to play for their universities. Because of this players lose their eligibility if they are paid in anyway for playing, including profiting off their likeness. Yes they do get their scholarship and certain other academic benefits, but that’s it.

What this means is these players are also not allowed to receive payment from schools, AAU coaches and agents; they also can't get paid for commercials, shoe deals, aren't entitled to a share of their jersey sales, don't get paid for inclusion in video games, etc.

To me this system is blatantly unfair. While I don’t think the school’s themselves or the States, the funding source of public universities, should pay athletes (could you imagine supporting a tax-hike to support paying players when schools are being closed?) I think any of us who attended college for years on end would agree that the living expenses amassed during your stay there are enormous.

Bilas went on to say “I don't think that college athletes need to be paid by the universities but they shouldn't be restricted from realizing monetary gains from outside the universities.” For those that don’t know as well as being an ESPN personality, Bilas is a practicing attorney who went to law school at Duke while also working there as an assistant coach. During his 3 years coaching the Blue Devils made it to the Final Four all 3 years and won 2 national championships.

In my opinion, Bilas could not be more right. Changing the rules as he suggested could go a long way in prevent future fiasco’s such USC or Ohio State from occurring. Players would be able to get paid for commercials, sign shoe deals, etc. and universities would not have to worry about being shamed because of their athletic program or be forced to spend so many of their resources on ensuring that their players aren’t receiving benefits, because a compensation system would be allowed.

In the words of President Barrack Obama, "it's time for a change." The reason given to support keeping the requirement that a player must have amateur status to maintain eligibility in the NCAA is normally “that's the way its always been.” Frankly this is not good enough. When it is clearly evident that current system is broken, there is absolutely no reason why the status quo should be maintained just in the name of tradition.

[Maga_1]

I kind of agree with this, but at the same time it would be crazy to recruit or pay to some guys.

[wang4three]

Yes they do get their scholarship and certain other academic benefits, but that’s it.

That's quite a lot if you ask me. That being "it" is what many people would kill for. I worked a job in college and tutored as well to help pay for my tuition. I'd love to be able to play my favorite sport and study at the same time. I understand that their schedules are rigorous, but I guarantee you there are plenty of other kids on campus that bust their ass off to get through college without any sort of benefit. There is no argument in my opinion that validates a student-athlete being more important in receiving extra than what they're already getting. Whether they care about or cherish it or not, it's not their position to ask for more.

Even if you allow them to sign external contracts, you're going to travel down a very dangerous path. Particularly with branding deals. If kids going to Nike or Adidas camps are allowed to sign endorsement deals in high school, then they're probably going to force them to go to a Nike or Adidas-endorsed schools. They may even force them into a specific school so that there would be a ton of hype generated for a particular team. It'd have to be highly, highly regulated with a hard cap. Also has to be a limit of how many deals they can be doing.

It's just going to be a mess for colleges. They're probably going to look for a cut of the contract too, and not to mention coaches are going figure their way into it as well.

I love college sports, but it shouldn't change. I'd stop watching if they started paying players. Eventually this entire thing will fall back to the rest of the student population. They will see their tuition rise to help compensate the new payment of players. More kids won't be able to afford to go to college and education in general will be cheapened. We already have an education problem in the country. Let's not make it worse.

[dwight20-20]

the reality is that a lot of these guys couldn't give two shits about their education so full tuition doesn't mean much. There are also the guys who get the most out of their education and full tuition means a hell of a lot. but for the guys who come in to college with on-and-done in mind, what is a college scholarship? Nothing.

[Rose]

No. they get a full-ride scholarship. I'd kill for that.

[dwight20-20]

you would. so would most normal people out there. because to normal people an education is everything. An education means jack shit to a lot of top NBA prospects although all of them still should get their education so they aren't morons but a lot of them don't worry about life after basketball. anyway, the point is that those guys are being brought in to play sports, not learn. so how is a full-ride scholarship fair payment? that is why schools have to cheat and give money under the table, because these athletes aren't looking for an education, they are looking for money.

[IlliniFan]

Whether they value it or not isn't the issue. Most people would kill for a full ride scholarship. That's a free education, free food, and a free place to stay. Since a vast majority of college players will never even sniff the NBA, it's pretty damn valuable. The notion that we have to pay to attend but athletes should be paid to attend a university is laughable to me.

[SourPatchKids]

Whether they value it or not isn't the issue. Most people would kill for a full ride scholarship. That's a free education, free food, and a free place to stay. Since a vast majority of college players will never even sniff the NBA, it's pretty damn valuable. The notion that we have to pay to attend but athletes should be paid to attend a university is laughable to me.

No kidding but the kids worked hard and deserve the scholarships.

[dak121]

Are athlete-students even able to have a steady job of some sort while their on scholarship? Specifically in football and basketball, the sports that actually bring in all of the money?

As long as systems like the BCS is in existence I'll continue to cling to my thought that the NCAA is full of money-hungry hypocrites whose greater-than-though attitude has enabled a culture of corruption from coaches to street-agents/AAU.

I wonder how much the NCAA is pulling in from those football/basketball videogames that come out every year? Not to mention individual schools like Ohio State selling and making a fortune off of those #2 football jerseys (but without the name on the back, but "that's different", my ass it is).

[dwight20-20]

Are athlete-students even able to have a steady job of some sort while their on scholarship? Specifically in football and basketball, the sports that actually bring in all of the money?

As long as systems like the BCS is in existence I'll continue to cling to my thought that the NCAA is full of money-hungry hypocrites whose greater-than-though attitude has enabled a culture of corruption from coaches to street-agents/AAU.

I wonder how much the NCAA is pulling in from those football/basketball videogames that come out every year? Not to mention individual schools like Ohio State selling and making a fortune off of those #2 football jerseys (but without the name on the back, but "that's different", my ass it is).

I'm pretty sure scholarship athletes aren't allowed to have jobs but it doesn't matter because they wouldn't have time for a job. College sports is a full time job.

[wang4three]

Are athlete-students even able to have a steady job of some sort while their on scholarship? Specifically in football and basketball, the sports that actually bring in all of the money?

They can get easy part-time university jobs if they really wanted, I'm sure. I know some players that graduate early became paid research assistants, or do things like monitor communal computer rooms. I think Torey Thomas was an RA for his senior year of college. Most of these jobs are very flexible in timing and cater to the students' academic and athletic schedule. They may not pay much, but it is available if they want it.

As long as systems like the BCS is in existence I'll continue to cling to my thought that the NCAA is full of money-hungry hypocrites whose greater-than-though attitude has enabled a culture of corruption from coaches to street-agents/AAU.

I wonder how much the NCAA is pulling in from those football/basketball videogames that come out every year? Not to mention individual schools like Ohio State selling and making a fortune off of those #2 football jerseys (but without the name on the back, but "that's different", my ass it is).

Not really all that much. We always see big dollar amounts, but the truth of the matter is that only a handful, maybe 20 at most, of colleges make money from their academic programs. So really only 20 schools probably can afford to pay players. If you let all players get paid, then you'll probably start seeing smaller schools drop athletic programs. Or they may drop academic programs because they see higher potential profits from athletics. A lot of the money goes to supporting the losses of the other schools. It also goes to allowing other sports to exist. I thik I read somewhere that the NCAA basketball tournament allows other sports like hockey, soccer, baseball, lacrosse, swimming, tennis, golf and their female counterparts to exist. Probably other sports I'm not even thinking about. Most likely paying players would force some if not most of those sports to be cut.

[NotYetGreat]

Call me naive but I still don't agree with this for 2 reasons:

1) They're already being compensated for with that scholarship that's giving them the shelter, food, and education which a lot of people their age just don't/can't have but still very well deserve. Last thing I'd do here is let them do those things and give them the impression that "Your money in the future will come easy."

But more importantly,

2) "Brand names" should have NO part, whatsoever, in one's education. By signing on that dotted line and being told what college to go to I feel is a violation of the right to education. Sure, they may be getting it, but is it WHERE they really wanted to go? It being a right, I definitely think that they should have the right to choose for themselves what path the want to choose in college and so. What wang4three said about them signing early and all that is an example of what I wouldn't want happening.

[JMT]

Your suggestion benefits the upper 1% of all college players. QB's will get compensated because they're the high profile guys that shoe/apparrel companies would be interested in. So the same guys that the boosters and agents help now would get compensated by your plan. Does nothing for the vast majority of college athletes.

We always hear about the athlete that doesn't have walking around money for a movie, and that's legitimate. Most athletes are precluded from off-season jobs due to compensation or scheduling issues.

Provide a stipend to athletes. A small allowance that would reasonably allow them to live like a normal student during their off-season.

Any athlete that leaves school early is on the hook for what they've been paid, just like a student loan. Those that bolt for the big money of the pros should have no problem returning that amount. Those that flunk out deserve the consequences of their poor performance. Players who are dropped from scholarship due to on field performance keep theirs; not their fault that scouts and coaching staffs picked the wrong guy.

Complete your 4 years and the money is yours. Good job fulfilling your contract with the school.

Yes, a full-ride scholarship is valuable compensation, and the system shouldn't be changed due to the minority who don't see the personal value in an education. But a system that doesn't allow scholarship athletes to work a part-time job or provide some means for pocket money leaves itself open to corruption.

[dwight20-20]

I wrote a paper about this back in high school but my mind has been changed. paying athletes would complicate things greatly and ruin college sports. although there is a lot of messed up stuff going on right now, paying athletes would make it worse. Leave it how it is.

[2LeTTeRS]

Not trying to be rude at all, but request for everyone commenting on the article.....PLEASE READ FIRST. I never said schools would pay these athletes, the compensation would only come from being able to endorse products for sale.

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Your suggestion benefits the upper 1% of all college players. QB's will get compensated because they're the high profile guys that shoe/apparrel companies would be interested in. So the same guys that the boosters and agents help now would get compensated by your plan. Does nothing for the vast majority of college athletes.

We always hear about the athlete that doesn't have walking around money for a movie, and that's legitimate. Most athletes are precluded from off-season jobs due to compensation or scheduling issues.

Why is this a bad thing?

In this country all people have the right to profit based on their own likeness. Why should they be the only class of people that are not afforded this right?

While this right may not be valuable to the ordinary joe, this is an invuable right to those who have attained celebrity status. While you are right depending on how good you are or what program you play for your celebrity status will vary, just being a member of a school football or basketball team makes you a celebrities in many communities.

I don't claim my system fixes all the problems, but it would at least give players an opportunity to make some money.