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

[SVCBeercats]

I used outline.com to read the article.

Six figures? Try 7 figures!

A six-figure payday? Why UConn’s Paige Bueckers could cash in more than anyone from the NCAA’s new name, image and likeness rules

aAs Gov. Ned Lamont weighed last month whether to sign legislation to let college athletes in Connecticut sign endorsement deals, a surprising billboard appeared along I-84 in Bristol. “Ameri…

www.courant.com

 

[oldude]

Interesting article. But I think the estimation of a “six-figure payday” may just be short by one-figure.

Nike recently signed 19 year old US track star Athing Mu to a multi-year contract with a base salary of $750,000 per year, plus performance bonuses that would put her over $1 million if she wins the Olympic 800 meters, her signature event.

I’m guessing Paige’s deals, with whomever she signs, will be considerably north of that amount.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

That crashing you're hearing is the beginning of the collapse of the NCAA and its "student-athlete" farce. Developmental leagues for men and women b-ballers are just around the corner. If you can make big bucks while learning the skills, why not skip college altogether? That's how Europe does it for soccer and basketball.

Good luck to Paige and many happy paydays to her!!!

 

[oldude]

That crashing you're hearing is the beginning of the collapse of the NCAA and its "student-athlete" farce. Developmental leagues for men and women b-ballers are just around the corner. If you can make big bucks while learning the skills, why not skip college altogether? That's how Europe does it for soccer and basketball.

Good luck to Paige and many happy paydays to her!!!

Developmental leagues don’t have the exposure that college football and basketball has. That’s why we don’t see minor league baseball players or basketball players in the G-League striking it rich.

 

[Bald Husky]

That crashing you're hearing is the beginning of the collapse of the NCAA and its "student-athlete" farce. Developmental leagues for men and women b-ballers are just around the corner. If you can make big bucks while learning the skills, why not skip college altogether? That's how Europe does it for soccer and basketball.

Good luck to Paige and many happy paydays to her!!!

Well maybe they still desire to get an education, for free at that. That is still the primary goal of most of these athletes, knowing full well that they can't play as long as Sue Bird. Even for Sue, 40 is young in the normal world, so I'm sure she values the education she received at UConn.

 

[eebmg]

Paige's Buffalo Chicken Dip already sounds like 7 figures. Yum Yum

 

[Bald Husky]

This is going to happen all year and I just love it. Its always a fun time when they get together.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Well maybe they still desire to get an education, for free at that. That is still the primary goal of most of these athletes, knowing full well that they can't play as long as Sue Bird. Even for Sue, 40 is young in the normal world, so I'm sure she values the education she received at UConn.

Maybe there needs to be a separate league for the college players that are more focused on their sport versus just a normal student-athlete that plans to go pro in something else? If all of the top tier college players are just going to be pros instead of student-athletes, I'd rather just watch pros.

 

[oldude]

Maybe there needs to be a separate league for the college players that are more focused on their sport versus just a normal student-athlete that plans to go pro in something else? If all of the top tier college players are just going to be pros instead of student-athletes, I'd rather just watch pros.

I believe it’s called D-1.

 

[Blakeon18]

Some help needed here. The Azzi/Paige interview...I get no sound. How do I get it..what key to hit?
That is also true [for me anyway] in several threads where there is an interview but no sound.
Got wisdom?

 

[eebmg]

Some help needed here. The Azzi/Paige interview...I get no sound. How do I get it..what key to hit?
That is also true [for me anyway] in several threads where there is an interview but no sound.
Got wisdom?

The microphone icon does not work for you?

 

[hoopsfan22]

I believe it’s called D-1.

No a separate league that is perhaps not part of the NCAA because the top players in D-1 aren't student-athletes now that they are getting paid because of their athletic abilities.

 

[eebmg]

No a separate league that is perhaps not part of the NCAA because the top players in D-1 aren't student-athletes now that they are getting paid because of their athletic abilities.

Since maybe 10 players may make more money outside the college system which can offer lucrative scholarship packages, that would be a small league.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Developmental leagues don’t have the exposure that college football and basketball has. That’s why we don’t see minor league baseball players or basketball players in the G-League striking it rich.

But that's only because, for men b-ballers, the pro prospects don't stay longer than a year in college. Europe turns out tremendous pros in soccer and basketball without a college league. In the U.S., it's only the NCAA, the big networks, and the big power leagues that make money, not the athletes. If athletes can spend four years learning their craft while getting paid and also getting endorsement bucks, why not?

Again, the "exposure" only benefits the college sports industry, not the athletes. The NCAA is going down!

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Developmental leagues don’t have the exposure that college football and basketball has. That’s why we don’t see minor league baseball players or basketball players in the G-League striking it rich.

Minor league baseball makes good money for a lot of owners. Lots of attendance at AAA games, as well as lower leagues. Most players don't make much, but the big prospects get big bonuses, as well as salaries.

Just a matter of time until the courts or the players union forces WNBA owners to draft underclass athletes, just as the NBA now does.

 

[oldude]

No a separate league that is perhaps not part of the NCAA because the top players in D-1 aren't student-athletes now that they are getting paid because of their athletic abilities.

Your talking about setting up a type of minor league system, which already exists in baseball and MBB. There are numerous problems with trying to do that for football or WBB.

First of all, most D-1 athletes are not headed to the pros. The educational opportunity that their athletic scholarship provides them is of paramount importance.

Secondly, as I pointed out in another post, the tv and media exposure for minor league athletes doesn’t come close to the multi-billion $ exposure they receive with D-1 college sports. NIL opportunities are far greater for football players at Alabama & Clemson than they would ever be with the Tuscaloosa Ranglers or the SC Bulldogs.

Finally, where exactly is the money going to come from to set up a so-called “super league” that only takes the very top athletes in football & WBB? They would be squeezed out by big time colleges on one side and professional leagues on the other.

 

[oldude]

Minor league baseball makes good money for a lot of owners. Lots of attendance at AAA games, as well as lower leagues. Most players don't make much, but the big prospects get big bonuses, as well as salaries.

Just a matter of time until the courts or the players union forces WNBA owners to draft underclass athletes, just as the NBA now does.

If I’m a top college WBB player making 6 or 7 figures off my NIL, why would I ever want to go to a professional league with far less media exposure, to earn a rookie salary of $69,000? Some WBB players could be looking at a pay cut to turn pro.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Your talking about setting up a type of minor league system, which already exists in baseball and MBB. There are numerous problems with trying to do that for football or WBB.

First of all, most D-1 athletes are not headed to the pros. The educational opportunity that their athletic scholarship provides them is of paramount importance.

Secondly, as I pointed out in another post, the tv and media exposure for minor league athletes doesn’t come close to the multi-billion $ exposure they receive with D-1 college sports. NIL opportunities are far greater for football players at Alabama & Clemson than they would ever be with the Tuscaloosa Ranglers or the SC Bulldogs.

Finally, where exactly is the money going to come from to set up a so-called “super league” that only takes the very top athletes in football & WBB? They would be squeezed out by big time colleges on one side and professional leagues on the other.

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.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Your talking about setting up a type of minor league system, which already exists in baseball and MBB. There are numerous problems with trying to do that for football or WBB.

First of all, most D-1 athletes are not headed to the pros. The educational opportunity that their athletic scholarship provides them is of paramount importance.

Secondly, as I pointed out in another post, the tv and media exposure for minor league athletes doesn’t come close to the multi-billion $ exposure they receive with D-1 college sports. NIL opportunities are far greater for football players at Alabama & Clemson than they would ever be with the Tuscaloosa Ranglers or the SC Bulldogs.

Finally, where exactly is the money going to come from to set up a so-called “super league” that only takes the very top athletes in football & WBB? They would be squeezed out by big time colleges on one side and professional leagues on the other.

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.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Your talking about setting up a type of minor league system, which already exists in baseball and MBB. There are numerous problems with trying to do that for football or WBB.

First of all, most D-1 athletes are not headed to the pros. The educational opportunity that their athletic scholarship provides them is of paramount importance.

Secondly, as I pointed out in another post, the tv and media exposure for minor league athletes doesn’t come close to the multi-billion $ exposure they receive with D-1 college sports. NIL opportunities are far greater for football players at Alabama & Clemson than they would ever be with the Tuscaloosa Ranglers or the SC Bulldogs.

Finally, where exactly is the money going to come from to set up a so-called “super league” that only takes the very top athletes in football & WBB? They would be squeezed out by big time colleges on one side and professional leagues on the other.

But male college athletes really get very little exposure in college, since they're only there for one season. Most of their "exposure" and the money they results comes when they enter the pros.

 

[Blakeon18]

The microphone icon does not work for you?

View attachment 68462

eebmg...no it doesn't do a thing.

 

[the Q]

That crashing you're hearing is the beginning of the collapse of the NCAA and its "student-athlete" farce. Developmental leagues for men and women b-ballers are just around the corner. If you can make big bucks while learning the skills, why not skip college altogether? That's how Europe does it for soccer and basketball.

Good luck to Paige and many happy paydays to her!!!

Good.

The NBA and NFL shouldn’t be getting a free minor league on tax payer dime.

Fans root for the laundry anyway.

 

[the Q]

If I’m a top college WBB player making 6 or 7 figures off my NIL, why would I ever want to go to a professional league with far less media exposure, to earn a rookie salary of $69,000? Some WBB players could be looking at a pay cut to turn pro.

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

 

[Bald Husky]

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.

 

[the Q]

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.

Viable would mean being able to pay its own bills.

So trying to create another league seems nuts to me

 

[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.