Why arent college athletes paid?

BaseballGuy · Jan 5, 2006

I mean paid legitimately not under the table.

What they do is a job which brings in revenue for the school and city. They risk their lives playing football, but just get a scholarship in return? Hardly any will make it to the NFL.

They should get paid like every other working adult in the free world.

In my eyes it looks like schools are giving college players a raw deal.

Brock Landers · Jan 5, 2006

they are paid, its called a FREE EDUCATION. This argument gets me all the time, think of how difficult it is for normal people to pay for 4 years of college. These guys should be thanking the university for what otherwise for most of them would be a completely unattainable thing.

BaseballGuy · Jan 5, 2006

Brock Landers said:
they are paid, its called a FREE EDUCATION. This argument gets me all the time, think of how difficult it is for normal people to pay for 4 years of college. These guys should be thanking the university for what otherwise for most of them would be a completely unattainable thing.

That is like saying someone who works at a department store should just get an employee discount and free health care yet no salary. Hey they get a discount!

Regular college employees get reduced or free tuition for their families and still get paid.

Cmon, getting a free education is just a benefit not a paycheck.

Brock Landers · Jan 5, 2006

Depending where you go, College educations are woth upwards of 100,000 dollars. So to hell with paying these guys one red cent.

G.MONEY · Jan 5, 2006

I say they do get paid..A college education is pretty dam good, and most get 5 years to complete it paid in full room and board. The problem is most of them think they will go on to a pro career and take the education very lightly. I only wish my son or daughter could get a full scholarship and save me 50 to 70k....................:sad3:

BoZZi · Jan 5, 2006

The free education is about the best pay they should wish for.....down the road its worth more then any pay they might receive.

docmercer · Jan 5, 2006

Come work at Walmart - but just for store credit. It's a joke. Would ABC broadcast the games if we paid them in school vouchers? How about we only pay coaches using scholarships for their kids?

Pay these guys a minimum salary and give them a 4 year voucher that they can use to attend school after they are done playing.

It's a pro league -- the only difference being that everyone gets paid except the pro's.

winkyduck · Jan 5, 2006

it is impossible to do so

MOST athletics departments barely make a profit - if they do at all

to be conservative let's say each D1 school has 300 kids on scholarship (i know for places that have football it is A LOT more but 300 will prove a point)

school is in session for 9 months we shall say

let's pay each kid "just" $200 a month

ok - now math time

300 kids
9 months
$200

$540,000 is what this comes out to and while that doesn't seem like a lot for many schools this makes the difference between being in the Red or Black

and as i said - most schools have MORE than 300 kids so now bump that figure up some

and if your reply is "only pay kids in certain sports" you can forget that - we all know lawsuits would ensue and the school would have to pay them all

sounds like a great idea - but in reality........

docmercer · Jan 5, 2006

winkyduck said:
it is impossible to do so

MOST athletics departments barely make a profit - if they do at all

to be conservative let's say each D1 school has 300 kids on scholarship (i know for places that have football it is A LOT more but 300 will prove a point)

school is in session for 9 months we shall say

let's pay each kid "just" $200 a month

ok - now math time

300 kids
9 months
$200

$540,000 is what this comes out to and while that doesn't seem like a lot for many schools this makes the difference between being in the Red or Black

and as i said - most schools have MORE than 300 kids so now bump that figure up some

and if your reply is "only pay kids in certain sports" you can forget that - we all know lawsuits would ensue and the school would have to pay them all

sounds like a great idea - but in reality........

I bet a lot of people got out of the cotton business when they couldn't keep slaves anymore.

winkyduck · Jan 5, 2006

ktvvegas said:
I bet a lot of people got out of the cotton business when they couldn't keep slaves anymore.

how is this slavery? a kid gets a FREE education and for someplace like Stanford or USC we are talking about a 6-figure FREE education

quantumleap · Jan 5, 2006

winkyduck said:
it is impossible to do so

MOST athletics departments barely make a profit - if they do at all

to be conservative let's say each D1 school has 300 kids on scholarship (i know for places that have football it is A LOT more but 300 will prove a point)

school is in session for 9 months we shall say

let's pay each kid "just" $200 a month

ok - now math time

300 kids
9 months
$200

$540,000 is what this comes out to and while that doesn't seem like a lot for many schools this makes the difference between being in the Red or Black

and as i said - most schools have MORE than 300 kids so now bump that figure up some

and if your reply is "only pay kids in certain sports" you can forget that - we all know lawsuits would ensue and the school would have to pay them all

sounds like a great idea - but in reality........

This may be true for lower schools. But Division I schools that go to bowl games get millions. This is in addition to ticket sales and merchandise rights. These large colleges are filthy rich. There is no reason why these kids can't be paid for bringing in the big bucks.

docmercer · Jan 5, 2006

winkyduck said:
how is this slavery? a kid gets a FREE education and for someplace like Stanford or USC we are talking about a 6-figure FREE education

Why not offer them the cash instead. Why do they have to take store credit?

BaseballGuy · Jan 5, 2006

ktvvegas said:
I bet a lot of people got out of the cotton business when they couldn't keep slaves anymore.

Could not have said it better myself. :103631605

BaseballGuy · Jan 5, 2006

quantumleap said:
This may be true for lower schools. But Division I schools that go to bowl games get millions. This is in addition to ticket sales and merchandise rights. These large colleges are filthy rich. There is no reason why these kids can't be paid for bringing in the big bucks.

Well screw the lower schools. They should not be playing if they can't staff a decent team. Too many teams anyway.

rjmole · Jan 5, 2006

To Attend USC Out Of State Is Now Approx 38 Grand A Year

gopherbob · Jan 5, 2006

certain students are paid while attending various schools, like exxon footing the bill for a geology student that is going to work for them after graduation.
i think college athletes should be allowed to have agents. if the agent thinks its in the athletes best interests leave early, so be it. but they can also think it might be in the students best interests to stay in school, then they can be allowed to substidize them. they can also get endorsement contracts from various sponsors such as nike and pepsi.

NEWPORT · Jan 5, 2006

Brock Landers said:
they are paid, its called a FREE EDUCATION. This argument gets me all the time, think of how difficult it is for normal people to pay for 4 years of college. These guys should be thanking the university for what otherwise for most of them would be a completely unattainable thing.

Ditto.....How many parents on this site would not give their left nut to have over 100k in tuition paid for and their child get a quality education for FREE!!!!!!!!!!

docmercer · Jan 5, 2006

NEWPORT said:
Ditto.....How many parents on this site would not give their left nut to have over 100k in tuition paid for and their child get a quality education for FREE!!!!!!!!!!

Wah wah...so your kid is fat or without athletic skill --- go sell the left nut to science. it's a flat out scam and the only reason athletes aren't paid is because of 2 reasons

#1 - God forbid schools actually have to budget for more than million dollar stadiums and coaches

#2 - Its a free farm system for the NFL

BC-Eagles · Jan 5, 2006

i cant believe you'd say JUST a college education. athletes at BC get over 160,000 dollars for tuition, for a top 40 education. on top of that they get 35 dollars a day for food, free tickets to other sports, etc etc. they get their due.

docmercer · Jan 5, 2006

BC-Eagles said:
i cant believe you'd say JUST a college education. athletes at BC get over 160,000 dollars for tuition, for a top 40 education. on top of that they get 35 dollars a day for food, free tickets to other sports, etc etc. they get their due.

Offer them $160k in cash then.