NCAA, paid college athletes, unionizing

[nyslowhand]

Watched an interesting documentary on TV yesterday, $chooled: The price of college sports. Anyone see it? Lot of other editorial and news articles about this topic on TV or in print lately. Very thought provoking!!!

 

Basically about the formation and reign of the NCAA organization. How it benefits and manipulates college sports for TV profits. All while restricting the athletes from sharing these huge annual windfalls. The NCAA has formed a monopoly and may violate US anti-trust laws. How the NCAA scrutinizes the college athlete's academics in an attempt to make them appear as amateurs. College athletes want to be paid to participate! Some monumental court battles linger. College athlete unions being talked about... Comparisons to the Olympics and definition of amateur athletes in today's society.

 

In the past I'd assumed the NCAA was a ruling organization attempting to keep college athletics strictly amateur. Always applauded them for investigations into colleges or specific athletes violating special treatment policies, either recruitment, monetary or academic! In recent years I've come to realize this was pretty naive of me. Yeah, they still put on the air of righteousness and at the same time taking advantage of the situation. NCAA's TV income approaches $1-11B/year depending on the source. Of that ~95% goes back to their participating colleges, so they claim..!?! Yet, every year colleges raise their tuition..? I'm all for keeping college sports purely amateur, but stressing the academics. It's great to watch the March Madness or Bowl games with the super, athletic freshmen players. You think what a team they will have next year with those young players. until you realize they'll be in the NFL. MLB, NBA, NHL,...!?! Guess the days of my favorite pro-athlete being a Rhodes scholar or merely having a BA/BS degree are long gone!

 

What's the answer? I blame the NCAA's hyprocrisy, but is it more our fault as fans? Maybe the college's fault for buying into the mentality of a dual curriculum, either sports or academics? Probably the most telling fact is what colleges compensate some of the team coaches. EX; Mike K of Duke made ~$10M in 2011. Closer to home at SU, the chancellor or the executive head who oversees SU's total operations makes ~1/2 of what either the football or basketball coaches make. IMHO, a sad commentary!

 

[Hardcore]

The kids that are highly recruited are getting paid some way shape fashion or form. Believe it or not they are not without resources when they need them, of course they have devised ways to pay these kids without drawing attention, whether through perks or small jobs for cash. I have seen it first hand.

I worked with a guy that was highly recruited in HS, in Kentucky mid 80's, 6'-11 white guy. He drove a brand new vette off the showroom floor as a high school senior and the car was his from then on. Then he went to college and was never without cash, as he tells it he was paid to play HS & college ball. Unfortunately he blew his back out in sophomore or junior yr. I know NCAA is much more vigilant today then they were in the 80's but some of these kids are still well taken care of.

[Hardcore]

And so the ruination of education continues unabted.

Agreed

[Nomad]

Not much of a sports fan,I don't ever think I watched any college games on tv.......

My youngest daughters boy friend was a full ride D1 athlete, they certainly "own " you year round that's for sure. His brother got a full ride at Norte Dame ,so they make out education wise if they pick a good major and can do well at both.

Like all sports youth on up it's not about the "kids" it's about the coaches,the school and in college making money,except the " workers " don't get paid.

[ants]

The "workers" get a free ride on tuition. Syracuse University is over 40k a year and I imagine Notre Dame, and other big schools are  at least that. Not a bad pay day.

[G-Man]

Society as a whole has gone crazy over sports, look at high schools new rec centers, travel team in towns, heck kids have personal trainers.... for baseball at age 7.. hockey, football... I'm not sure how or why its happened but if a player is on a free ride to college he is getting paid. personallyI'll watch local NFL teams or NHL from time to time but that's it really I could care less.l

[ants]

It has gone nuts. As far as younger kids go ( little league age) Its over the top. These kids play/practice baseball 12 months a year. My brother has his two boys going every day. Summer league, fall league winter camps, trainers, indoor practice 6 days a week…I think that professional sports has gotten so big and salaries have gotten so insane that a lot of parents think they have the next Derek Jeter under their roof.

[orion]

Only a minute fraction of college athletes will make any real money. All the others will suffer when uncle sam decides to tax the scholarships.

 

Then you have title nine. What happens then? If its a job not a sport , do colleges need to offer the same to women ?

[nyslowhand]

Only a minute fraction of college athletes will make any real money. All the others will suffer when uncle sam decides to tax the scholarships.

 

Then you have title nine. What happens then? If its a job not a sport , do colleges need to offer the same to women ?

Think I saw somewhere only 1.5% of college athletes get into professional sports, mainly the NBA & MLB.

 

Your 2nd point is the area colleges do NOT want to get into. If athletes were paid via NCAA proceeds, shouldn't the women's diving team make the same as the men's basketball team..?

 

Not to single out their recruiting or basketball program, but Kentucky always comes to mind. Typically have a majority of starters who are freshmen, that disappear into the NBA after their 1st year. IMHO, rather see a math or science major that is excelling academically get a full scholarship & some living expense money with the chance of them curing cancer, solving world hunger or peace, or..... than to promote some 19yo with natural athletic skills. Too optimistic..?

 

Not only is this a sad commentary on academia, but also about what the American dream has become and who the role models are for today's young adults!

[nyantler]

Well if they are going to bring in a union... maybe it is time that scholarship money should be considered as income to the athlete and taxed or we could not give them a scholarship and pay them what the scholarship dollar amount is and let them pay their bill with that. Collective bargaining will kill college sports as we know it... and remember you can't unionize one sport without unionizing them all... girls included.

[HectorBuckBuster]

If you noticed it seems that the athletes that do make it to the pro's seem to have very short careers now. I think part of it is by the time they get to pro level some of these kids have been playing for 15 plus years. These athletes that get a full scholarship should jump on it and get there degree then worry about going pro. I know they look at the money, but how many pro athletes are broken with in a few years after they retire.

[nyantler]

Who's going to pay the union dues?.. the athletes?.. the unions must really be hurting for money... I heard the unions are big in support of this with all the drop in union member as of late. They will ruin college sports like they did manufacturing in the US.