Should College Athletes get Pay

[THE BAMA IRISHMAN]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2419723

12 Years ago Tom Osborne and several other coaches made an effort to get players in college paid something. Coach Osborne indicated this would help stop the amount of Booster money being given out. Things coaches have a hard time controlling. Since the student athletes are the entertainment they deserve something according to Dr. Tom Osborne.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Ldlane]

College athletes already get pay through scholarships for an education. They get tutoring services, and other perks that others don't get. If we did decide to pay them how would we do it? Would Football players get more money than basketball players? Men more than women? A runningback more than punter?

You would have larger schools that could pay more with the best players and you can throw parity out of the window!

 

[specialkpntbl]

College athletes already get pay through scholarships for an education.

my thoughts exactly. If they dont make it to the NFL where they would make more money than they would ever need, they'll at least have a degree which cost them nothing, and they got to play football while doing it.

 

[IMALOYAL1]

Maybe the walk-ons that never will play pro ball or get a scholarship.

 

[BamaBoyTim]

haha last i checked...in an INDIRECT way a scholarship is like giving you money FOR school... but that's just me

 

[THE BAMA IRISHMAN]

Here are some opinions both for and against:

For:
http://www.flyernews.com/article.php?section=Sports&volume=50&issue=26&artnum=03

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2004-08-31-top-ten-number-7_x.htm

http://www.siue.edu/ALESTLE/library/SPRING2001/mar20/paidtoplay.html

Both Opinions:

http://iblsjournal.typepad.com/illinois_business_law_soc/2005/03/does_it_make_se.html

Against:
http://www.flyernews.com/article.php?section=Sports&volume=50&issue=26&artnum=04

http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/socalsportsfan/2006/01/17/Should_College_Athletes_be_Paid

http://www.sportscolumn.com/story/2006/7/20/214929/682

 

[swamptroll]

i think they deserve a small amount of money. equal money regardless of position or "star" status. if a walkon earns a scholarship, then they will get the added perk. but a perk is all it should be. they are getting a free education, but they are human. i wouldn't call going through a CNS practice a free ride. they may need a little money for tylenol. if they get a job at mcdonalds, they will be under intense scrutiny. nothing drastic, just a small sum of extra money to help survive while they are on scholarship. it might encourage some to study more, practice harder and remain on scholarship.
just my 3 cents

 

[Ldlane]

i think they deserve a small amount of money. equal money regardless of position or "star" status. if a walkon earns a scholarship, then they will get the added perk. but a perk is all it should be. they are getting a free education, but they are human. i wouldn't call going through a CNS practice a free ride. they may need a little money for tylenol. if they get a job at mcdonalds, they will be under intense scrutiny. nothing drastic, just a small sum of extra money to help survive while they are on scholarship. it might encourage some to study more, practice harder and remain on scholarship.
just my 3 cents

Encourage them to study harder? If your scholarship is in jeopardy I think that should be enough. You know I had to work full-time and go to school. No scholarship. To me they are fortunate that God blessed them with a talent to get them a scholarship for higher education.

 

[BamaJama17]

No. Too much hassel.

 

[jps1983]

Receiving a full scholarship is getting pay. No room/board/books to pay for or the education itself. I bet even the meal plans are paid for. Also as a practical matter, if the athletes were paid, it would create a lot of problems b/c there is no way to make sure that they aren't getting more than they are supposed to. The boosters would find a way to launder the money to the kids so that it isn't traceable to the kids or boosters. (I'm sure many do already all around the country, I'd guess at USC and OU).

 

[lafella]

I agree scholarships for sports are pay enough.

If you pay one you have to pay them all. Golf baseball, Softball, Swim, Track, Basketball, Football, Gymnastics etc etc.

 

[TommyMac]

Why is it so hard for folks to realize that this is a ridiculous concept? There are only a few programs in the entire nation that show profits from their athletic programs, almost all of it from football and men's hoops. Give it to one part of the athletic program and you'll have to give it to them all. The money is simply not there. It's a pipe dream, it's Don Quixote jousting at windmills, it's a terrible and an unworkable idea that should be allowed to die a natural death.

 

[swamptroll]

Encourage them to study harder? If your scholarship is in jeopardy I think that should be enough. You know I had to work full-time and go to school. No scholarship. To me they are fortunate that God blessed them with a talent to get them a scholarship for higher education.

my hat is off to you and the thousands of of others like you and i. but after a full class load..assuming players go to class, do they miss practice for work. i emphasized..really emphasized a small perk for players. i think they deserve it and need it.

 

[bmcklv]

I voted yes because they already do get paid in education, which is, like they say, the gift that keeps on giving. Unfortunately, a lot of these young guys don't appreciate the value of what is being offered to them until it's too late. They expect to have a professional sports career, and don't really learn anything that will help them when they figure out they don't have what it takes to make it in the pros. Places like the cow college will manufacture them a degree that they can't even read without assistance just to get four years worth of sweat and blood out of their bodies.

 

[TIDEFAN17]

They do. It's called a scholarship.

 

[NatchezTider]

No. it's amateur athletics. :BigA:

 

[Vinny]

If they are on scholarship no, but yes if they are not on scholarship.

 

[Crimson-Blitz]

They should get a reasonable per diem.

 

[NYBamaFan]

No, no, no, and no. Oh yeah, no...

 

[Blanda's Shoes]

No. it's amateur athletics. :BigA:

There is nothing "amateur" about college athletics.

If not paying the players, I think it's well past time giving up the facade of "human environmental sciences" and other such concocted degree fields just to keep football players eligible. Let them major in football if that's what they want.

And don't even bother saying "It doesn't prepare them for life after football" -- look around, neither does the current system.

Besides, no one expresses those worries about students majoring in folklore or ballet. Heck, I'm willing to bet you have a better chance of making a career in football than ballet!

Although some of our offensive line play last year makes me think tutus should have been stocked in the equipment locker.