Edsall Says Pay CFB Players

[polycom]

If you want to make this a free market then things will change rapidly. Few, if any, markets have 126 (or whatever is the latest count of FBS members). Fewer still have the majority losing money. If a free market is desired then we'll be down to the P5- (the minus is because some P5's might not make it either). The absolute superstar players will go straight to the pros (a dozen or so per year to the NBA and very few to the NFL because they aren't physically ready) while the best of the remaining will be paid on a scale from a lot of money to less than the current value of a scholarship. The net will be far fewer opportunities in total. That makes sense as there is really no demand for 19-22 year old developmental football or basketball labor outside of the university marketplace. Fans are rooting for the school laundry and the primary value for most players is that they wear that laundry. There may be minor leagues that spring up to take some of the extra players, but they'll be playing for meal money and little else. Essentially they'll be "last chance" semi-pro operations at best.

Good. I hope it happens. "Amateurism" for major sports needs to die a painful death

 

[Nostical]

Fans are rooting for the school laundry and the primary economic value for most players is that they wear that laundry.

True dat. The unique combination of undying loyalty to and relentless passion for Dear Old Alma Mater U is what drives interest, attendance, and ratings. No one is going to a D-League game. The players better wake up and realize that whether it’s due to an agent’s greed, their own ego, or collective ignorance, sometimes golden gooses get cooked.

 

[kibblesnbits]

First, I just pointed out that no one is obligated to take a Division-I scholarship. The problem is that there is no great economic value for the athletic labor of 99.99% of age 18-21 athletic labor, just as there isn’t for most regular labor in that age group without a college degree. If there was, someone would have started a professional league for those players. The best they could hope for is probably something akin to Canadian Junior Hockey which at least covers room & board and a very small stipend). Most would probably be playing for virtually zero.

I do, however, get your argument that the big schools can afford to pay. Are you arguing for a fixed stipend (how big?) or a true free market? If the latter, will the players have agents? Will they have enforceable contracts with the school or will the Jets be able to sign the next Baker Mayfield when their QB is hurt mid-season? Alternatively, could the school sell Mayfield’s contract to the Jets? Will colleges have four year contracts with players and end up selling their best players after each year to pro teams to generate more revenue? Similarly, if teams are “stashing” players in college will they be able to call them up? If not, why not? Shouldn’t players be able to start accruing major league service time and value toward their new contract as soon as possible?

Of course, such a truly open market plan will not only wipe out UConn athletics as we know it, but most P5 programs as well. As soon as they are treated like minor leagues, with placement of players at the whim of professional organizations, the fans will start to treat them like minor league teams. No minor league team in any sport draws 60,000 fans or significant TV ratings.

What you refuse to acknowledge is that the schools are generating most of the economic value (by sponsoring teams for good ‘ole State U) and, in a free market, most of the players would actually do worse. Now, I understand if you were to say, “That’s the price of a free market. Few free markets support the number of competitors we have in college sports so most will go away. Furthermore, big-time college sports masquerading as amateurism is a sham anyway.” If that’s your argument it’s at least philosophically and economically consistent. I could even agree with it (although I’ll miss most college sports) because it is a sham. Just don’t think that you can make them into low-level professional leagues and nothing will change except a re-distribution of wealth, because that’s fantasy.

There’s a continuum. On a small scale (small stipends) it will just wipe out most second and third tier sports (particularly with Title IX impacts, which you ignore but that’s the law of the land). On a larger scale (“free market pay”), it will wipe out all but the largest schools -and those will eventually suffer if they are ad hoc minor leagues. Then again, with fewer current students going to games even at P5 schools maybe a collapse is inevitable in the next 20-30 years anyway.

 

[huskymedic]

Post last winter workout media session:

 

[huskymedic]

 

[TouchdownHusky]

I thought they played for a college scholarship worth about $100,000 per year. Take advantage of it guys. They should never be paid by any university. Wanna get paid coming out of H.S., go to some developmemtal league. The fact that it wouldnt draw flys for a viewing audience is besides the point. Also there already are places athletes get paid . . . NFL, NBA, MLB, et al. College is about getting an education. Maybe these student-ATHLETES should work after class to appreciate what they have.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

College athletes are being paid. Roughly a $100,000 investment a year. How about taking advantage of it. Or, how about colleges admitting college capable students, so they can take advantage of it.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

They are being paid: approximately $100,000 per year. Period. The players should not be able to use their status as a UConn player (or any other school) to profit. If they weren't an athlete at UConn (or any other big time program) they would have little value. And, it doesn't matter what the university is making, the players agreed to a full college scholarship as fair value for their services.

Maybe college sports should adopt a no scholarship model, so that these players can work after classes to pay off loans . . . and maybe appreciate better the wonderful opportunity they have.

 

[kibblesnbits]

Frankly, I’m wondering if Edsall is losing his grip on reality. He’s the 7 figure (yes, I know, just barely) coach of a program that is losing millions in an athletic department that is right up among the top in terms of subsidy from the university.

See: https://senate.uconn.edu/wp-content...Senate-UBC-Report-on-AD-Subsidy-to-Senate.pdf

Combine that with a state that is in rough shape financially and will probably keep reducing its support and you have to wonder what he’s thinking when he’s proposing to add millions in new expenses (including other major men’s sports and Title IX impacts). Maybe he’s decided he can’t repeat his success here and is looking for a way to get terminated so he can collect on the rest of his contract.

 

[Exit 4]

Frankly, I’m wondering if Edsall is losing his grip on reality. He’s the 7 figure (yes, I know, just barely) coach of a program that is losing millions in an athletic department that is right up among the top in terms of subsidy from the university.

See: https://senate.uconn.edu/wp-content...Senate-UBC-Report-on-AD-Subsidy-to-Senate.pdf

Combine that with a state that is in rough shape financially and will probably keep reducing its support and you have to wonder what he’s thinking when he’s proposing to add millions in new expenses (including other major men’s sports and Title IX impacts). Maybe he’s decided he can’t repeat his success here and is looking for a way to get terminated so he can collect on the rest of his contract.

I haven't read all of Randy's quotes on this subject. Has he toss out a #?

Maybe Randy believes that kids should get some nominal figure, lets say 5k a year or that schools should have the option to pay a certain number of players, but not the entire roster. Maybe Randy is just exhausted from the endless policing that needs to be done to comply with the NCAA on the issue of gifts/cash...and maybe Randy is just disgusted that coaches salaries continue to get insane and figures paying players would help curb that insanity. I don't know what Randy is really thinking, but maybe these are some of the angles.

I dont want to pay players, but I could see the merits in creating a new class of football scholarship where say 10 of the 85 scholarships come with 10k of annual cash compensation. This could be used to help with all programs deal with this truly disadvantage kids.

 

[Hornet22]

They are being paid: approximately $100,000 per year. Period. The players should not be able to use their status as a UConn player (or any other school) to profit. If they weren't an athlete at UConn (or any other big time program) they would have little value. And, it doesn't matter what the university is making, the players agreed to a full college scholarship as fair value for their services.

Maybe college sports should adopt a no scholarship model, so that these players can work after classes to pay off loans . . . and maybe appreciate better the wonderful opportunity they have.

Simple question that you’re not answering...And I hear what you’re saying about the “being paid with a scholarship,” theory. But explain why they shouldn’t be able to profit off of their value? How is that harming the NCAA? If player X is good enough to have companies offer money to use his likeness how does that harm the NCAA? What if player X is taking full advantage of his scholly and is kicking ass in his sport, hasn’t he/she earned the right to profit off their talent in excess of the scholarship?
On the back end perhaps that would incentivize some players to stay in school a little longer since they’re making extra money and truly love being at said school?

 

[kibblesnbits]

I haven't read all of Randy's quotes on this subject. Has he toss out a #?

Maybe Randy believes that kids should get some nominal figure, lets say 5k a year or that schools should have the option to pay a certain number of players, but not the entire roster. Maybe Randy is just exhausted from the endless policing that needs to be done to comply with the NCAA on the issue of gifts/cash...and maybe Randy is just disgusted that coaches salaries continue to get insane and figures paying players would help curb that insanity. I don't know what Randy is really thinking, but maybe these are some of the angles.

I dont want to pay players, but I could see the merits in creating a new class of football scholarship where say 10 of the 85 scholarships come with 10k of annual cash compensation. This could be used to help with all programs deal with this truly disadvantage kids.

Yes and you nailed it. At one point in his latest pitch he threw out $10K as a figure. I don’t believe he talked about different classes of scholarships, but yours is an interesting idea. On the other hand I’m sure others will say 10 scholarships and $10K aren’t enough.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Maybe $100,000 is high, but ask any family trying to put a kid through college (room and board) how much it costs and how valuable a full schoarship would be to them.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Simple question that you’re not answering...And I hear what you’re saying about the “being paid with a scholarship,” theory. But explain why they shouldn’t be able to profit off of their value? How is that harming the NCAA? If player X is good enough to have companies offer money to use his likeness how does that harm the NCAA? What if player X is taking full advantage of his scholly and is kicking ass in his sport, hasn’t he/she earned the right to profit off their talent in excess of the scholarship?
On the back end perhaps that would incentivize some players to stay in school a little longer since they’re making extra money and truly love being at said school?

The athlete himself has no value other than what the school has allowed them to have through exosure. Why are high school athletes profiting off their talents (save for full rides and under the table violations of NCAA rules)?

 

[WrenchFan69]

I haven't read all of Randy's quotes on this subject. Has he toss out a #?

Maybe Randy believes that kids should get some nominal figure, lets say 5k a year or that schools should have the option to pay a certain number of players, but not the entire roster. Maybe Randy is just exhausted from the endless policing that needs to be done to comply with the NCAA on the issue of gifts/cash...and maybe Randy is just disgusted that coaches salaries continue to get insane and figures paying players would help curb that insanity. I don't know what Randy is really thinking, but maybe these are some of the angles.

I dont want to pay players, but I could see the merits in creating a new class of football scholarship where say 10 of the 85 scholarships come with 10k of annual cash compensation. This could be used to help with all programs deal with this truly disadvantage kids.

Every full-ride football player at UConn gets a cost-of-attendance check for about $7k. They can use it how they see fit.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Wow, talk about ignorant. You really don't understand that without the big name schools, these kids would be making what the players from Williams, Trinity and Western Connecticut State University are making.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Read post from Kibblesanbits on this page. It pretty much says what I'm saying. Good luck with crowd support for these players in minor league hoops.

 

[RSTuthill]

Folks are aware, are they not, that the vast majority of CFB programs have negative net revenue once the debt service on the stadiums they play in and other unaccounted costs are included, right?

 

[metsfan2323]

Players getting paid just makes me want to see UCONN drop to the FCS level. North Dakota State fans seem to be having fun and that school probably isn't losing 30 million a year. I bet a lot of schools would drop out if a professional model were adopted so we would be in good company.