Paying college athletes, unions, etc...

[principal]

I tend to side with not paying college athletes beyond paying for school, room, board, etc. I am not completely opposed to giving them some sort of basic wage that they might otherwise earn if they didn't spend their time playing basketball. And though I don't like the idea of paying college athletes "what they are worth", I can see the argument that it is unjust that they earn millions and millions of dollars for their respective schools and are not financially compensated for doing so. With that said, for those who are pro paying college athletes, does anyone think the following is a good idea? Do you think this is good for the college game?

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/...come-employees

My gut reaction to the above is that this ruins college sports, subjectively for me, and perhaps objectively, in as much as it becomes something completely different than what it has been historically. Maybe I'm old fashioned, or being overly idealistic, or maybe I have some other hang-up of which I am unaware, but I do not like the idea. I would prefer to take all of the athletes who are capable of making boat loads of money and putting them in a separate league (maybe like the G-League or maybe something different). If they want to make money they should have the right to get market value. On the other hand, if they want to go to school then they should go to school. An education is (at least potentially) worth millions more than what most college athletes will ever make for their playing skills. A good education (which is almost impossible to find in the world today, but I will save this rant for another day) is invaluable, it is priceless. But there I go being overly idealistic again.

Another consideration is this - to what degree does the athlete make the university versus the university making the athlete? It is, of course, both. There is a reason the top players go to Duke, Kentucky, etc...the visibility, the likelihood of winning, making a name for oneself, etc, is far greater at some schools than others. It isn't just a one way street - if you take away the Duke brand, the Kansas brand, etc, at least right now there is no market for these kids, the G-League doesn't pay a whole lot. But it could be argued that if these kids went straight to the G-League, thereby depleting the college game of talent, the G-League would pay better. I believe this is true, but I don't believe it would begin to pay athletes what they are supposedly earning for their respective schools. People are irrationally vested in the success of their alma mater, or the local team, or the team they grew up watching. They spend millions of dollars, the wealthy alumni spend millions on donations, stadiums, etc, because they love the school, not because they love a particular player. All of that money would stop flowing if these same kids went to the G-League. So what is the true value of a college football or basketball player? No doubt the product makes money - people are crazy for college football and basketball. But is the money made because of the loyalty to the brand or because of the athletes attending the school? It is both, of course, but who needs who more? If the G-League started pulling all of the top talent, would college athletics fold or would DII become the new DI? And when it does, what happens to these new DI players? Should they be compensated? There wouldn't be a market for them outside of college athletics - the G-League's DII wouldn't be very lucrative.

I'm thinking out loud here because I really don't like what is being proposed above. I like watching X play basketball, I ride the emotional rollercoaster with the team each year (which is kind of silly if you really think about it), but unionizing everything would really cause me to take a huge step back and reconsider how vested I want to be in what, to me, becomes almost pure product with very little heart and soul left.

Principal

[94GRAD]

I'm not opposed to players unionizing or being paid for their services, the schools would figure out a way for them to keep their chunk of the pie. But if they want to be considered employees, they sure as hell better have to pay taxes on their wages!!!

[muskiefan82]

I get it. I do. I just hate that it seems like the value of a fully paid education is somehow lessened by this. If you pay for your kids to go to college, it is hard to understand why the value being given to an athlete isn't enough. It is sad it has reached this point because I really do think if the NCAA had done something, anything, before now, it would not have reached this point. Now, college sports sit on the edge of the cliff. I hope it doesn't go over and plummet to its death

[bjf123]

I’m not crazy about paying the players, but I think you can make an argument for them being paid for companies making money off their name, image, and likeness.

Rocky Boiman on WLW made a good point about it, though. You could get some dissension in the locker room when you’ve got the star QB getting a bunch money while the o-line that’s making him look good gets squat. Got to remember these are still kids.


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[Drew]

Recruiting tracks 1:1 with athletic budget. Only difference this would make is players finally getting a piece of the pie.

[Drew]

Recruiting tracks 1:1 with athletic budget. Only difference this would make is players finally getting a piece of the pie.

I guess I will give my thoughts on the "spirit" of the game. Everytime I have made more money in my life my life has gotten better. So I don't quite understand the fetishization of someone not getting paid. Ain't yall feel a little sick when a player goes down and their career might be over? Or them having to leave the country to make a buck? Meanwhile, coaches and everyone else are cashing big ass checks. Don't see the virtue in keeping players from the money and letting everyone else eat.

[xu82]

I guess I will give my thoughts on the "spirit" of the game. Everytime I have made more money in my life my life has gotten better. So I don't quite understand the fetishization of someone not getting paid. Ain't yall feel a little sick when a player goes down and their career might be over? Or them having to leave the country to make a buck? Meanwhile, coaches and everyone else are cashing big ass checks. Don't see the virtue in keeping players from the money and letting everyone else eat.

Just a few thoughts about your thoughts:

* I don’t mind the players being able to transfer or make money, but I will care less about college hoops in general and X hoops in particular.

* There should be money available to pay for insurance against injury.

* If they need to leave the country to make money, they should have been better. The best can stay here and make money. LOTS of money. IF they are good enough.

* Money isn’t everything. I’d be twice as happy on half the money if we had not moved to Atlanta. Money isn’t everything, but if you have enough you can make the changes you need down the road.

[Drew]

Just a few thoughts about your thoughts:

* I don’t mind the players being able to transfer or make money, but I will care less about college hoops in general and X hoops in particular.

* There should be money available to pay for insurance against injury.

* If they need to leave the country to make money, they should have been better. The best can stay here and make money. LOTS of money. IF they are good enough.

* Money isn’t everything. I’d be twice as happy on half the money if we had not moved to Atlanta. Money isn’t everything, but if you have enough you can make the changes you need down the road.

- You may care less, I am the opposite. I enjoy seeing people making money. As far as some kind of ritual where they can't enjoy the fruits of the labor until after college. I just don't see it. For most, playing in Cintas will be the peak of their athletics career. Why not align the finances with that?

- Having money isn't everything, not having it is. All the more reason to balance the scales. I would sleep ok if the coaches paychecks went from 7 to 6 figures and players went from 0 to 5.

[xu82]

- You may care less, I am the opposite. I enjoy seeing people making money. As far as some kind of ritual where they can't enjoy the fruits of the labor until after college. I just don't see it. For most, playing in Cintas will be the peak of their athletics career. Why not align the finances with that?

- Having money isn't everything, not having it is. All the more reason to balance the scales. I would sleep ok if the coaches paychecks went from 7 to 6 figures and players went from 0 to 5.

Maybe I didn’t express myself well. I don’t like the idea of complete roster transition every season. I like seeing guys come in and develop over the course of a 3-4 year career. It’s more pleasurable for me, and that is what I will pay to see.

I’ll be less financially involved if they keep messing this up, as I’m sure will be the case with others. Mess it up, shrink the pond they all drink from.

Getting a degree is a path to earning a living. The vast majority of them will not make a living playing basketball. Even those who do will only do so for a few years.

The coaches who get the BIG bucks get them because they can recruit. It will be hard to pay everybody.


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[xu82]

- You may care less, I am the opposite. I enjoy seeing people making money. As far as some kind of ritual where they can't enjoy the fruits of the labor until after college. I just don't see it. For most, playing in Cintas will be the peak of their athletics career. Why not align the finances with that?

- Having money isn't everything, not having it is. All the more reason to balance the scales. I would sleep ok if the coaches paychecks went from 7 to 6 figures and players went from 0 to 5.

So, they are one step ahead of a high school player? Should we pay them, too? Be the best, make the most. Earn it, or find another path.