A six-figure payday? Why UConn’s Paige Bueckers could cash in

[hoopsfan22]

If some millionaire or company tried to set up a so called semi-pro league for WBB, who would watch them play? How would the league make money? The developmental league for the NFL and WNBA is COLLEGE football and COLLEGE womens basketball. If there are enough really good players out there, then the WNBA will expand. If they are not good enough for the WNBA, and they don't take the opportunity to attend college for free, they are going no where. The WNBA has worked extremely hard for 25 years to make that league viable, so how can someone even imagine that a lessor league could exist? Come on, lets get real here.

And that's the problem. Nothing in UConn's mission statement says the goal of the university is to provide a developmental league for professional sports leagues, so why are they?

 

[the Q]

And that's the problem. Nothing in UConn's mission statement says the goal of the university is to provide a developmental league for professional sports leagues, so why are they?

It’s basically exposure for the school.

And something else they can promote excellence for

 

[CL82]

If some millionaire or company tried to set up a so called semi-pro league for WBB, who would watch them play? How would the league make money? The developmental league for the NFL and WNBA is COLLEGE football and COLLEGE womens basketball. If there are enough really good players out there, then the WNBA will expand. If they are not good enough for the WNBA, and they don't take the opportunity to attend college for free, they are going no where. The WNBA has worked extremely hard for 25 years to make that league viable, so how can someone even imagine that a lessor league could exist? Come on, lets get real here.

Good points, and the right question to ask, IMO, is always "How does this make money?"

There is a model just developing on the men's side and for minor league BB players. The basic idea is that the league pays promising athletes some dollars amount ($100k in the new start MBB version) and in exchange gets a piece of the future earnings of the athlete. If feels kind of slimy to me, but you asked how a minor league for WBB could make money; this is one possible model.

 

[oldude]

If they are not student-athletes they should not be playing for a university or college, so all of the other questions you pose become someone else's problem.

The problem is that most of those non-stellar athletes neither go to the pros, nor get a decent education. Even Stanford has published a pamphlet for its athletes that tries to steer them into the easiest courses and majors. Most college athletes graduate with worthless degrees and no pro prospects. It's time that scholarships went to kids who have the academic promise, and to students who will benefit from real degrees in real majors. And that includes students of color, who are far too frequently used for their athletic talent, then discarded without receiving degrees.

Let’s stop speaking in generalizations. Most WBB athletes get degrees. As soon as Megan Walker completes her degree, UConn will continue to maintain a 100% graduation rate for WBB players. In 2020 the overall graduation rate for D1 athletes was 90%. For MBB it was 82%. Football is at the bottom, but 78% of all D1 football players earn their degrees. That percentage declines slightly to 74% for black student athletes.

One of the single most misunderstood and misquoted concepts is that student-athletes fail to earn degrees, when in fact they continually outperform the general student population, and it’s not even close. For all American college students, the graduation rate for undergrads is 46% and 60% for grad students.

 

[oldude]

I recall a few WNBA stars say they play in the WNBA to get the health insurance

Yes that’s true. But under the ACA, children are covered under their parents health insurance until age 26. If parents don’t have health insurance, just about every college offers a low cost student plan that adds a few hundred dollars to tuition and fees. For scholarship athletes, health care costs are included.

 

[the Q]

Yes that’s true. But under the ACA, children are covered under their parents health insurance until age 26. If parents don’t have health insurance, just about every college offers a low cost student plan that adds a few hundred dollars to tuition and fees. For scholarship athletes, health care costs are included.

I just mean they’re aren’t going to be able to play in college forever and frankly their NiL might be more valuable in college than as WNBA players.

So they’ll need to do something

 

[oldude]

And that's the problem. Nothing in UConn's mission statement says the goal of the university is to provide a developmental league for professional sports leagues, so why are they?

What every college President understands is that a successful sports program increases non-athlete applications and alumni donations to the general fund. Add in a few million from media rights, merchandise sales and directed alumni donations for the Athletic Department and that’s pretty much all anyone needs to know.

 

[oldude]

I just mean they’re aren’t going to be able to play in college forever and frankly their NiL might be more valuable in college than as WNBA players.

So they’ll need to do something

I agree. But the discussion started with the question of when will undergraduate WBB players force the W to open up the draft. Based on the W’s new CBA, the answer is at no time soon.

 

[CL82]

Yes that’s true. But under the ACA, children are covered under their parents health insurance until age 26. If parents don’t have health insurance, just about every college offers a low cost student plan that adds a few hundred dollars to tuition and fees. For scholarship athletes, health care costs are included.

I believe that that now is up to age 32, subject to a 2% premium

 

[hoopsfan22]

Let’s stop speaking in generalizations. Most WBB athletes get degrees. As soon as Megan Walker completes her degree, UConn will continue to maintain a 100% graduation rate for WBB players. In 2020 the overall graduation rate for D1 athletes was 90%. For MBB it was 82%. Football is at the bottom, but 78% of all D1 football players earn their degrees. That percentage declines slightly to 74% for black student athletes.

One of the single most misunderstood and misquoted concepts is that student-athletes fail to earn degrees, when in fact they continually outperform the general student population, and it’s not even close. For all American college students, the graduation rate for undergrads is 46% and 60% for grad students.

They better have higher graduation rates than the general student population. There's an entire apparatus designed to keep the student-athlete on the field or court that is not available to the general student population. Never mind the fact that most of them take the minimum number of credits and aren't in academically demanding fields. Not to mention fake classes being set up just to pass student-athletes and lord knows what other shenanigans yet to be uncovered. Let's put it this way: Paige and Azzi ain't here to play school, and neither was Megan.

 

[huskyd]

For more than 20 years I've had the pleasure of wcbb to look forward to each fall into winter. Specifically, I've had the extreme pleasure of watching UConn's women's teams have an unprecedented run of success. Now the game is changing in profound and uncharted ways, and what I'm really wondering is how these changes will affect my long run as spectator and fan.
What is it we're really supporting with our time, energy, and money? I've thought a lot about this, and I'm pretty sure that what we care about is being part of a community (UConn) of which we are inordinately proud and the glory of which somehow rubs off on us. It is very like a family to whom we are devoted and repays us with its caring in exchange for our own. If this sounds goopy, so be it.
And what are we, fans extraordinaire, about to experience?
The GOOD NEWS is that our pleasure will just be enhanced. In fact, the interest for the best female college players to leave early for the pros will be diminished by compensation for their NIL. Why rush off to the WNBA to make less than some young women can make playing college ball? Expect the best players to go 4 full years and everyone else to enjoy a free education and the chance to be part of the greatest program in the history of women's roundball.
One would expect that the players in the WNBA will enjoy greater pay—but that's not likely, as they barely survive now outside the largess of the NBA.
So worry no more. It's all good. The best college women will be tangibly valued, and things will only get better for everyone. Paige and Azzi ain't goin' anywhere, and neither are we fans.

 

[Heytherego]

The problem is that most of those non-stellar athletes neither go to the pros, nor get a decent education. Even Stanford has published a pamphlet for its athletes that tries to steer them into the easiest courses and majors. Most college athletes graduate with worthless degrees and no pro prospects. It's time that scholarships went to kids who have the academic promise, and to students who will benefit from real degrees in real majors. And that includes students of color, who are far too frequently used for their athletic talent, then discarded without receiving degrees.

I don’t know why you think gifted athletes do not deserve the scholarships they’ve worked so hard for. All d1 athletes (even the “non stellar ones”) have put in an insane amount of time, effort, money, sacrifice and so on just to be able to play at college. Also there are things called academic scholarships…that are reserved for “kids who have the academic promise” you speak of. D1 athlete or not, many 20 year olds graduate with “useless” degrees and go into something that has nothing to do with their degree. However I don’t see any bachelors degree as “useless” and think no matter what athletes should be proud of whatever degree they received. To have to play, train and dedicate most of your days to a sport while also balancing classes is impressive. I do not like the narrative that they don’t deserve it.

 

[oldude]

They better have higher graduation rates than the general student population. There's an entire apparatus designed to keep the student-athlete on the field or court that is not available to the general student population. Never mind the fact that most of them take the minimum number of credits and aren't in academically demanding fields. Not to mention fake classes being set up just to pass student-athletes and lord knows what other shenanigans yet to be uncovered. Let's put it this way: Paige and Azzi ain't here to play school, and neither was Megan.

You continue to make broad generalizations about student athletes based on absolutely no hard data. In 2007 the NCAA issued detailed guidelines requiring student athletes to make progress towards their degree in order to maintain eligibility. There are no more basket weaving courses available. Most student athletes take the same classes as regular students. There is no broad “apparatus” to support them in college. These kids work their butts off on the field or court and in the class room.

 

[hoopsfan22]

You continue to make broad generalizations about student athletes based on absolutely no hard data. In 2007 the NCAA issued detailed guidelines requiring student athletes to make progress towards their degree in order to maintain eligibility. There are no more basket weaving courses available. Most student athletes take the same classes as regular students. There is no broad “apparatus” to support them in college. These kids work their butts off on the field/court and in the class room.

The players get tutors and mandatory study halls whose only goal is to help them meet NCAA eligibility standards, they get priority scheduling, they get to do coursework on a schedule that's compatible with their team schedule, to name a few of the perks for student-athletes. The university by virtue of having a vested interest in athletics is essentially their academic nannies because keeping them on the court/field is paramount.

 

[oldude]

The players get tutors and mandatory study halls whose only goal is to help them meet NCAA eligibility standards, they get priority scheduling, they get to do coursework on a schedule that's compatible with their team schedule, to name a few of the perks for student-athletes. The university by virtue of having a vested interest in athletics is essentially their academic nannies because keeping them on the court/field is paramount.

I was a student athlete. I never had a tutor or attended a mandatory study hall. While I would try to schedule classes around practice, I had several teammates who arrived late to practice because of a conflict with classes required for their major.

I must say that I am perplexed by your stereotypical view of student athletes, particularly since this forum is focused on the remarkable student athletes who play for UConn WBB. When you paint all student athletes with such a broad brush, you do a disservice to most intelligent, hard working student athletes whose paramount goal is to get a good education.

Just who are you referring to with your criticisms of student athletes requiring academic nannies? What prompted the cynical view that schools only goal is to keep athletes eligible? Are you talking about all college athletes? A particular sport? A particular school? UConn? Are you referring to a specific demographic group?

 

[UCSouth]

I was a student athlete. I never had a tutor or attended a mandatory study hall. While I would try to schedule classes around practice, I had several teammates who arrived late to practice because of a conflict with classes required for their major.

I must say that I am perplexed by your stereotypical view of student athletes, particularly since this forum is focused on the remarkable student athletes who play for UConn WBB. When you paint all student athletes with such a broad brush, you do a disservice to most intelligent, hard working student athletes whose paramount goal is to get a good education.

Just who are you referring to with your criticisms of student athletes requiring academic nannies? What prompted the cynical view that schools only goal is to keep athletes eligible? Are you talking about all college athletes? A particular sport? A particular school? UConn? Are you referring to a specific demographic group?

I don't chime in much on this board, mostly the Men's BB Board. But for my two cents, it seems as if @hoopsfan22 and @Fairfield Fan are upset by the fact that these Athletes will be getting a degree because of their talents as well as getting paid for their NIL. I'm going to get out on a limb here and speculate that the root of their issue is that Paige will make more money in the next 3 years than they will make in the next 20 yrs. Plus no student loans.

 

[MooseJaw]

The players get tutors and mandatory study halls whose only goal is to help them meet NCAA eligibility standards, they get priority scheduling, they get to do coursework on a schedule that's compatible with their team schedule, to name a few of the perks for student-athletes. The university by virtue of having a vested interest in athletics is essentially their academic nannies because keeping them on the court/field is paramount.

They get all you stated and more. While many are as involved in their academics as they are sports it's also true that many need academic sitters and nannies. It is better now than it was in the dark ages {the 60's} when I was at University, many athletes at major Universities still get much more than tuition and room and board. Now another vehicle NIL is available to them.

 

[oldude]

I don't chime in much on this board, mostly the Men's BB Board. But for my two cents, it seems as if @hoopsfan22 and @Fairfield Fan are upset by the fact that these Athletes will be getting a degree because of their talents as well as getting paid for their NIL. I'm going to get out on a limb here and speculate that the root of their issue is that Paige will make more money in the next 3 years than they will make in the next 20 yrs. Plus no student loans.

Maybe so.

I really wish I could play the cello like Yo-Yo Ma. But that doesn’t in any way lessen my enjoyment to hear him play.

 

[Cornell Lt]

For more than 20 years I've had the pleasure of wcbb to look forward to each fall into winter. Specifically, I've had the extreme pleasure of watching UConn's women's teams have an unprecedented run of success. Now the game is changing in profound and uncharted ways, and what I'm really wondering is how these changes will affect my long run as spectator and fan.
What is it we're really supporting with our time, energy, and money? I've thought a lot about this, and I'm pretty sure that what we care about is being part of a community (UConn) of which we are inordinately proud and the glory of which somehow rubs off on us. It is very like a family to whom we are devoted and repays us with its caring in exchange for our own. If this sounds goopy, so be it.
And what are we, fans extraordinaire, about to experience?
The GOOD NEWS is that our pleasure will just be enhanced. In fact, the interest for the best female college players to leave early for the pros will be diminished by compensation for their NIL. Why rush off to the WNBA to make less than some young women can make playing college ball? Expect the best players to go 4 full years and everyone else to enjoy a free education and the chance to be part of the greatest program in the history of women's roundball.
One would expect that the players in the WNBA will enjoy greater pay—but that's not likely, as they barely survive now outside the largess of the NBA.
So worry no more. It's all good. The best college women will be tangibly valued, and things will only get better for everyone. Paige and Azzi ain't goin' anywhere, and neither are we fans.
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The advantage that UConn has is that it only recruits individuals with certain characteristics/attitudes/personalities. That's what makes watching UConn so fun and addicting. I can't remember any UConn WBB players that had a "me first/only" type of personality. That's the beauty of the UConn dynasty under Geno, he does not and will not compromise his beliefs on what it takes to be a successful team member.

 

[Bald Husky]

I was a student athlete. I never had a tutor or attended a mandatory study hall. While I would try to schedule classes around practice, I had several teammates who arrived late to practice because of a conflict with classes required for their major.

I must say that I am perplexed by your stereotypical view of student athletes, particularly since this forum is focused on the remarkable student athletes who play for UConn WBB. When you paint all student athletes with such a broad brush, you do a disservice to most intelligent, hard working student athletes whose paramount goal is to get a good education.

Just who are you referring to with your criticisms of student athletes requiring academic nannies? What prompted the cynical view that schools only goal is to keep athletes eligible? Are you talking about all college athletes? A particular sport? A particular school? UConn? Are you referring to a specific demographic group?

Here Here!!