AP Interview: Emmert: Changes needed, but not paying players

[huskymedic]

AP Interview: Emmert: Changes needed, but not paying players

>Emmert said allowing athletes to earn money for things such as endorsements from outside sources is worthy of consideration.

"There's a lot of discussion about the Olympic model and think it's well deserving of serious consideration inside the context of college sports," he said.<

 

[WrenchFan69]

So it is paying players, just through boosters instead of the schools themselves

 

[metsfan2323]

When UCONN announces that they have signed a new recruit to a 4 year $100,000 contract I will no longer be a fan of the sport. I would rather see the school drop to a division that doesn't pay the players.

 

[Chief00]

Yeah changes needed - Emmert should resign!

 

[sammydabiz]

When UCONN announces that they have signed a new recruit to a 4 year $100,000 contract I will no longer be a fan of the sport. I would rather see the school drop to a division that doesn't pay the players.

As a former college athlete for D1 football, I wholeheartedly disagree.... College amateurism is a farce, currently it's nothing but modern day slavery. With the tv money that is out in the billions not paying these players that actually produce the product is wrong in all levels.

 

[UConnSwag11]

As a former college athlete for D1 football, I wholeheartedly disagree.... College amateurism is a farce, currently it's nothing but modern day slavery. With the tv money that is out in the billions not paying these players that actually produce the product is wrong in all levels.

modern day slavery? come on, this is a mutual agreement between two parties. this isn't the drug war. If you do pay the players then like Geno said, The coaches should be able to fire them and bring in someone else. It'll ruing college basketball. This is not all the NCAA's problem. The NBA needs to get rid of the one and done rule and allow kids to come to the league when they're ready, whenever that is. The NBA also needs to take away the agent license if they're doing anything that the NCAA says isn't allowed. As for paying the players, they get more than their fair share - no student debt, great training facilities, national exposure, etc. I would say that if they don't have insurance through the NCAA/school then that needs to change without it bankrupting the schools

 

[metsfan2323]

As a former college athlete for D1 football, I wholeheartedly disagree.... College amateurism is a farce, currently it's nothing but modern day slavery. With the tv money that is out in the billions not paying these players that actually produce the product is wrong in all levels.

Wasn't UCONN's state subsidy for the athletic program 30 million? Meaning 30 million dollar deficit? More like slavery for the taxpayers.

BTW comparing the current model to slavery is so beyond idiotic it's hard to imagine that you have the intellect to operate your computer by yourself. I can only assume you were not forced by whip, shackle, chain and threat of death to play D1 football.

 

[uchusky32]

Wasn't UCONN's state subsidy for the athletic program 30 million? Meaning it 30 million dollar deficit? More like slavery for the taxpayers.

No. That's taxation without representation of good Uconn FB/MBB.

 

[auror]

So it is paying players, just through boosters instead of the schools themselves

Doesn't create the REQUIREMENT to pay the players, but allows kids to be compensated if they're worth it. Would be the way to go as the majority of NCAA athletes don't generate any revenue at all.

 

[JMick]

Doesn't create the REQUIREMENT to pay the players, but allows kids to be compensated if they're worth it. Would be the way to go as the majority of NCAA athletes don't generate any revenue at all.

I think players should be able to market themselves but there need to be restrictions. Otherwise some booster that runs a car dealership can stick the 3rd string running back into a 15 second commercial and pay them $100,000

 

[sammydabiz]

BTW comparing the current model to slavery is so beyond idiotic it's hard to imagine that you have the intellect to operate your computer by yourself. I can only assume you were not forced by whip, shackle, chain and threat of death to play D1 football.

Slow down guy, of course I wasn't forced to play at the threat of being whipped, it's why I said "modern day", but that's not the point.

Let's look at some facts:

- Currently the NCAA produces over $11Billion in annual revenue from college sports, more than the estimated total league revenues of both the NBA and the NHL.

-the NCAA loves to refer to college athletes as "students", the truth is they have no problem with said "students" missing classes due to the NCAA's own tournament schedules. (March Madness can require a "student athlete" to miss up to a quarter of all classes during the spring semester)

- typical Div 1 athlete devotes
43.3 hours per week to his sport (3.3 more hours than the typical American work week.)

- a substantial share of college schools sports revenue stays in the hands of a select few admins, athletic directors, and coaches)

-Success in college sports is also believed to improve the application rates and caliber of admitted students at certain universities. Not only are the college athletes producing the product, they are the best asset towards marketing a school as well.

Free tuition and room and board does not begin to make up for what college athletes provide to their universities in today's age of TV contracts.

Slavery, yes was a bad example (no threat of physical violence), but one can see correlations to picking and producing cotton for the plantation owner, to college athletes and the University. Slaves were give room/board and food as well. Maybe this doesn't totally apply in bball (G league/ Euro) but in football there really is no other option but to play in college.

The only plausible solution might be to take the very best athletes and make a minor league/club akin to European soccer.

The current trajectory of college sports is not sustainable, and the money gap will only increase in the future.

Btw Metsfan, my intellect is just fine, but thanks for your concern...and Go Yankees!!!

 

[the Q]

I’m fine with the schools not paying them. Especially with so many public schools involved (taxpayer dollars).

But not treating them like other students (transfers, jobs, side business or using their names to make money) is wrong. If they’re students first and amateurs, then let them be treated like that.

Things like the UCF kickers YouTube Channel, or the Jeremy bloom lawsuit, or eve trading merchandise for tattoos like Ohio st, should not be issues.

 

[BlueDogs]

As a former college athlete for D1 football, I wholeheartedly disagree.... College amateurism is a farce, currently it's nothing but modern day slavery. With the tv money that is out in the billions not paying these players that actually produce the product is wrong in all levels.

Silly hyperbole. Slavery in involuntary servitude. There is nothing involuntary and you're getting free education that costs others to psy and borrow as much $2000,000. The alternatives are (a) apply on your own academic merits and pay-up voluntarily the rest, (b) don't go and get a job. The guys who have reason to complain are DIII athletes who work their azzes off in practice, in film rooms, traveling and doing virtually exactly the same thing as their genetically blessed counterparts for ZERO and are expected to academically perform.

 

[Travelman6]

Pay the players but in that case, stop offering free scholarships. Let them use the money they are paid to pay for school like everyone else. Otherwise, I have no sympathy for not paying them considering the sky rocketing UNI costs that every other non athlete needs to deal with, as well as years (or even lifetimes) of debt. A free scholarship for 4 years (or even 1) is worth a lot of money, especially out of state. Otherwise, that scholarship + free room/board, travel, tv exposure, free access to top notch trainers and facilities, etc. is payment. A free scholarship + payment is unfair IMO.

I will always be a firm believer that American EDU needs to return to emphasizing academics first or the usa will continue to risk dropping further as far as being competitive on the global scene but I also realize there is a very small chance of that happening at this point, sadly. But even as low as HS and even MS, too much emphasis is placed on sports while science/math scores continue to drop compared to many other nations. Oh well.

 

[olehead]

As a former college athlete for D1 football, I wholeheartedly disagree.... College amateurism is a farce, currently it's nothing but modern day slavery. With the tv money that is out in the billions not paying these players that actually produce the product is wrong in all levels.

Amen. Amateurism is a legal fiction.

 

[Horatio]

I only played D3 football. I recently had a former teammate have double hip replacement and another double knee replacement directly related to college football. That's only D3 football. I could only imagine what D1 guys go through. No academic scholarship is worth being crippled and with the recent findings about The damage football does to its players you can't use the "free" education argument anymore.

If people don't want to use the word "slavery" to describe what the NCAA is doing you Have to at least call it a well organized hustle.

 

[olehead]

modern day slavery? come on, this is a mutual agreement between two parties. this isn't the drug war. If you do pay the players then like Geno said, The coaches should be able to fire them and bring in someone else. It'll ruing college basketball. This is not all the NCAA's problem. The NBA needs to get rid of the one and done rule and allow kids to come to the league when they're ready, whenever that is. The NBA also needs to take away the agent license if they're doing anything that the NCAA says isn't allowed. As for paying the players, they get more than their fair share - no student debt, great training facilities, national exposure, etc. I would say that if they don't have insurance through the NCAA/school then that needs to change without it bankrupting the schools

No mutuality here, it's an unequaled exchange. Kid and family agree to a one year scholarship with many conditions in exchange school gets darn near unfettered athletically related use of the athlete. No way is the relationship mutual. And hypothetically if the athlete can be fired, then the athlete should be afforded labor law protections, including the right to unionize. It's really simple, continue to work under this fraudulent assumption and so called illegal payments will continue, at every level I might add. I experienced it during my recruiting process, during AAU, and as a college athlete and that was almost thirty years ago.

 

[upstater]

As a former college athlete for D1 football, I wholeheartedly disagree.... College amateurism is a farce, currently it's nothing but modern day slavery. With the tv money that is out in the billions not paying these players that actually produce the product is wrong in all levels.

The TV money is for the laundry, not the players. And the dirty secret is that average students are going into debt subsidizing the massive losses (UConn, for instance, loses $30m a year!). Paying players can't be justified.

 

[olehead]

Slow down guy, of course I wasn't forced to play at the threat of being whipped, it's why I said "modern day", but that's not the point.

Let's look at some facts:

- Currently the NCAA produces over $11Billion in annual revenue from college sports, more than the estimated total league revenues of both the NBA and the NHL.

-the NCAA loves to refer to college athletes as "students", the truth is they have no problem with said "students" missing classes due to the NCAA's own tournament schedules. (March Madness can require a "student athlete" to miss up to a quarter of all classes during the spring semester)

- typical Div 1 athlete devotes
43.3 hours per week to his sport (3.3 more hours than the typical American work week.)

- a substantial share of college schools sports revenue stays in the hands of a select few admins, athletic directors, and coaches)

-Success in college sports is also believed to improve the application rates and caliber of admitted students at certain universities. Not only are the college athletes producing the product, they are the best asset towards marketing a school as well.

Free tuition and room and board does not begin to make up for what college athletes provide to their universities in today's age of TV contracts.

Slavery, yes was a bad example (no threat of physical violence), but one can see correlations to picking and producing cotton for the plantation owner, to college athletes and the University. Slaves were give room/board and food as well. Maybe this doesn't totally apply in bball (G league/ Euro) but in football there really is no other option but to play in college.

The only plausible solution might be to take the very best athletes and make a minor league/club akin to European soccer.

The current trajectory of college sports is not sustainable, and the money gap will only increase in the future.

Btw Metsfan, my intellect is just fine, but thanks for your concern...and Go Yankees!!!

Sammy speaks truth. I played in the NCAA tournament and experienced long road trips. In no way, shape, or form do you experience any sense of college student normalcy when you are on the road. You are focused on the task at hand. Coaches will throw out a flimsy "make sure you take of the classroom" type of statement, but please, it was basketball, basketball, basketball.

 

[Walker11]

I think players should be able to market themselves but there need to be restrictions. Otherwise some booster that runs a car dealership can stick the 3rd string running back into a 15 second commercial and pay them $100,000

This is a good point. Definition of a slippery slope. Players should at least get to get money from autographs and apparel sales. Plus some type of stipend. The whole model of the sport is corrupt. The best case solution for the players is for the NBA to develop a robust DD League.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Slow down guy, of course I wasn't forced to play at the threat of being whipped, it's why I said "modern day", but that's not the point.

Let's look at some facts:

- Currently the NCAA produces over $11Billion in annual revenue from college sports, more than the estimated total league revenues of both the NBA and the NHL.

-the NCAA loves to refer to college athletes as "students", the truth is they have no problem with said "students" missing classes due to the NCAA's own tournament schedules. (March Madness can require a "student athlete" to miss up to a quarter of all classes during the spring semester)

- typical Div 1 athlete devotes
43.3 hours per week to his sport (3.3 more hours than the typical American work week.)

- a substantial share of college schools sports revenue stays in the hands of a select few admins, athletic directors, and coaches)

-Success in college sports is also believed to improve the application rates and caliber of admitted students at certain universities. Not only are the college athletes producing the product, they are the best asset towards marketing a school as well.

Free tuition and room and board does not begin to make up for what college athletes provide to their universities in today's age of TV contracts.

Slavery, yes was a bad example (no threat of physical violence), but one can see correlations to picking and producing cotton for the plantation owner, to college athletes and the University. Slaves were give room/board and food as well. Maybe this doesn't totally apply in bball (G league/ Euro) but in football there really is no other option but to play in college.

The only plausible solution might be to take the very best athletes and make a minor league/club akin to European soccer.

The current trajectory of college sports is not sustainable, and the money gap will only increase in the future.

Btw Metsfan, my intellect is just fine, but thanks for your concern...and Go Yankees!!!

Hey, you look pretty good in Smart Font.

My daughter's imperfect analogy regards all big money football as blood sport controlled by power elites for mass entertainment & diversion a la Hunger Games.

I'll keep watching until I don't, and mostly have.

 

[2Husky]

if coaches were making $70k a year and teaching classes, then maybe you could justify not paying players. but paying coaches $3million a year to lose more games than they win, and then crying poverty when it comes to paying the players is absurd. i go to games to watch the athletes not the coaches.

 

[upstater]

if coaches were making $70k a year and teaching classes, then maybe you could justify not paying players. but paying coaches $3million a year to lose more games than they win, and then crying poverty when it comes to paying the players is absurd. i go to games to watch the athletes not the coaches.

Why don't you go to an NBDL game instead? Better players.

 

[intlzncster]

No mutuality here, it's an unequaled exchange. Kid and family agree to a one year scholarship with many conditions in exchange school gets darn near unfettered athletically related use of the athlete. No way is the relationship mutual. And hypothetically if the athlete can be fired, then the athlete should be afforded labor law protections, including the right to unionize. It's really simple, continue to work under this fraudulent assumption and so called illegal payments will continue, at every level I might add. I experienced it during my recruiting process, during AAU, and as a college athlete and that was almost thirty years ago.

I'm actually against the pay for player in the current system, if academics are still supposedly part of the deal.

In the current system, you can't pay players and make it equitable between schools. There's also title IX considerations. And it opens up the door to way more corruption than there already is, a fact people seem to ignore.

I mean, if you want to do it right, stop making these kids students and part of campus life. Just have a school sponsored minor league. Pay them salaries and let them live like adults.

And if they are going to insist on some kind of bastardized student athlete system, scholarships should be fully guaranteed for 4 years, not annually, come what may. Including health insurance. That's a no brainer.

 

[gtcam]

As a former college athlete for D1 football, I wholeheartedly disagree.... College amateurism is a farce, currently it's nothing but modern day slavery. With the tv money that is out in the billions not paying these players that actually produce the product is wrong in all levels.

Did slaves receive a free college education?
They need to make all rules that reflect college baseball
If these kids think they can get the same deal and make the same impact coming out of high school - fine let them go
But if they do enroll in school its a minimum 2 year commitment with free room and board, etc Far from slavery