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19 replies

Should College Athletes Be Paid

coach2709coach270910,000+ posts
This was a topic on another message board and it turned out to be a good topic so I thought I would put it here and get all of your points of view.

My opinion is NO they should not but I base this on differing versions of terminology. To me being "paid" implies making enough money to support yourself. Using this definition there is no way a college could do this and my proof is below. Now should college athletes be given a stipend then I say yes because a stipend is a smaller amount of money the college could handle.

Think about all the athletes at the University of Kentucky - all this is taken from their website

Football - 117 Players (not sure - hard to count that many)
Mens Basketball - 16 Players
Womens Basketball - 16 Players
Baseball - 37 Players
Softball - 16 Players
Mens Golf - 10 Players
Womens Golf - 8 Players
Volleyball - 13 Players
Mens Tennis - 11 Players
Womens Tennis - 7 Players
Mens Swimming / Diving - 28 Players
Womens Swimming - 28 Players
Mens S****r - 27 Players
Womens S****r - 29 Players
Rifle - 10 Players (men and women combined)
Mens Cross Country - 14 Players
Womens Cross Country - 11 Players
Womens Gymnastics - 14 Players
Mens Track - 42 Players
Womens Track - 31 Players

This is 485 athletes and let's say they each got paid

$10,000 Total Cost $4,850,000
$15,000 Total Cost $7,275,000
$20,000 Total Cost $9,700,000
$25,000 Total Cost $12,125,000
$30,000 Total Cost $14,550,000
$35,000 Total Cost $16,975,000
$40,000 Total Cost $19,400,000

According to www.finaid.org

the 2007-2008 average total costs (including tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation and other expenses) were

$13,126 for two-year public colleges
$17,336 for four-year public colleges and universities
$35,374 for four-year private colleges and universities
$27,791 for four-year public out of state colleges and universities

So if you look at the highest cost of four year private colleges and universities and paid the students just the cost of attending school it would run each school roughly $16 - 19 million.

The way the system is right now only a select few athletes get full rides and the cost of "paying" athletes is much lower.

Now let's look at other various problems that would come with this

1. How do you determine who gets paid what? - Scholarship player vs. walk on
2. Is there a minimum wage?
3. Do they pay into a retirement?
4. Do they pay into a health insurance plan?
5. Glamour sports vs lower tier sports - do they get paid the same or a scaled payment
6. Do you get raises for each year?
7. Medical Redshirt years - get paid or not?
8. What about other extracurricular activities at the school - do they get paid if they make any money?
9. Do you make what schools pay equal across the board or do you let each school determine what they can pay?
10. Any type of parity that we now have through scholarship reductions will be gone if you go with letting each school pay what they want - the bigger schools and conferences will be able to pay more and get the best athletes.
11. What about private schools vs public schools - do you pay the same?

Advantages of the system we have now

1. Athletes on scholarship get a $20,000 - 40,000 education
2. Based on my guess - out of all the athletes at a college PROBABLY less than 3% will go professional at the sport they play. The other 97% are getting a free education which will allow them to move into the real world debt free. Once again this is my guess I cannot back this up.
3. According to www.msnmoney.com the typical non-sport playing student is leaving school in debt around $20,000
4. An athlete is leaving school (not going pro) with valuable recognition to help them gain employment (yes that could be said if you pay them so I guess it's a bonus for both)
5. Free medical care - if an athlete is injured they get some of the best medical care provided by the school


There are things that need to change with the current system

1. Give athletes a small stipend if they can't hold off season jobs - regular students can work to have extra money athletes hands are tied because they cannot hold jobs
2. Ensure scholarships in case of an injury during school related injuries / illnesses
3. Free medical care in case of injury during school related injuries / illnesses

Probably some more but those are the things I can think of off the top of my head.

It would be nice to pay athletes but let's face it the economics of the situation doesn't allow it. Besides they are being paid - with an education. That is something that in the long run is priceless and worth more than any amount of money they will ever get while in school.

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. Thomas Jefferson

Last edited {1}
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ND Novice Dad100+ posts
1 way to look at it...

should some athletic programs have scholarships for the full squad while D1 baseball has 11.7

Before athletes start getting a stipend how about taking Football, or rowing, or softball down a few scholarships and bring some to baseball... as someone else once said does the 3rd string DT really need to be a full scholly.

after that we can talk about getting paid.
Last edited by Novice Dad
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
Not sure about anyone else but mine had free medical care from the team doctor from everything to a pimple to food poisoning, to sprained ankle.

The NCAA just passed a ruling regarding not taking away scholarships for illness or injuries (remember the pregnancy debate).

I know that for years a stipend has been discused but how to get around it legally. One way, the NCAA should pay for all student books which can run into a lot of money. End of semester the student can sell books back for cash.
Last edited by TPM
FungoFungoHighly Regarded and Beloved Old Timer
NO! Athletics vs. academics is too far out of kilter now. Paying college athletes would push athletics as the most important aspect of college. I would take it a step farther and entertain the idea of eliminating recruiting and athletic scholarships forcing colleges to select the athletic rosters from the existing student body like they do in high school.
I see athletes that 1. Have no plan or goal to get a degree. 2. Are assisted and guided through the academic maze for the sole purpose of competing. 3. Given preferential treatment based solely on their athletic ability.
Many parents talk out of both sides of their mouth when it comes to this subject. Most proclaim the goal is academics but athletics control their decisions. It's easy for the parent of an average player to "say" their son selected a college based primarily on academics but what if an LSU had offered a full athletic ride to the same student/athlete? I know there are many student/athletes that have both academics and athletics in perspective but I there are too many that let athletics control their lives during the college years. Let's downplay college athletics and get "student" as the most important part of "student/athlete".
Fungo
R RYNO100+ posts
We're talking in baseball and most sanctions sports in college partial scholarships so they are not getting a free education like Football and basketball. Most college have a book buy back program that IMO should furnish these books to student athletes so this could assist in the total COA. It could amount to a savings of $4000 for a 4 year student.
Last edited by RYNO
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
I have to go with Fungo's last statement on this one.

Midlo is correct, in one sense, they are getting paid.

College scholarship distribution is not always fair and lives by the theory the most profitable sport gets the rewards. That will never change.

My son was recruited by a school that gave you books and allowed you to turn them in for cash. Most schools cannot afford to do this, as many give books but you must turn them back and the credit goes back to the athletic department, you are charged a heavy fine for unreturned books. I am very familiar with that procedure. Roll Eyes

I see no issue with the NCAA helping out with the above, and would especially be helpful for those programs where athletic departments may need some assistance.

JMO.
Last edited by TPM
C cbg500+ posts
Yes, athletes should be paid but it should only be a small amount. I would like to see all athletes on athletic scholarship receive $50.00 per week (at one time this was called "laundry money) that they are in school. Baseball athletes are for the most part from middle class families that have the ability to give their children spending money but that is not the case with most of the football, basketball and track & field athletes. Those parents often times do not have the resources to give the students spending money to see a movie, take their girlfriends out on a date or just purchase a shirt and a new pair of slacks. When I was a college athlete my parents had enough money to give me what I needed but my roommate only had two pair of jeans and 4 T-shirts when he arrived on campus. This was a great kid that made good grades but it was difficult for him not to have any money and being proud he did not want to take any handouts. When the athletes cannot work and they don't receive any money how are they supposed to make it?
coach2709coach270910,000+ posts
Some very good points have been put here. I really don't think anyone would be upset over some help for athletes. I know we are talking semantics here with terminology but to say athletes are paid sends the wrong message. Look at the examples in my first post - it's fiscally impossible to pay athletes. Colleges / Universities don't make that much money and then you have TONS of other issues to consider.

Should atletes be given a stiped? I say yes - especially if they are going to resrict them from having jobs. It's all terminology but to say they get paid is wrong. Give them help is fine.

Things in life aren't fair and while I don't like the fact baseball only gets 11.5 scholarships you can't really say anything about it. Baseball costs a lot of money but it doesn't bring in the money that football and basketball does. You can't balance out the scholarship issue and if you decide to pay athletes then I agree with RZ1 and it will open a Pandora's Box we don't want to open.

I actually am glad the NCAA passed the rules to protect scholarships (yes I do remember the pregnancy debate TPM) and while I spoke against pregnancy in another thread it's still good they have that protection.

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