Sooners QB Caleb Williams...

[noeynox]

Nope. There are plenty of athletes willing to play for a scholly and did for a very long time.

To think this way you have to ignore the explosion of money in college sports. You have college coaches getting paid more than NFL coaches.

 

[Vowelguy]

One meeelion dollars to play for EMU?

 

[MilliniumPrince]

And the problem is? I go to Wesleyan games on occasion and just walk in. No tickets. Players graduate with real degrees in 4 years. They don’t pretend they are students.

If the guys on the squad could get the deal Caleb Williams can, you really believe they would be at Wesleyan?

Star athletes didn't create this mess. They are just finally in a position to maximize the benefits from it. If a bunch of boosters are willing to pay me $1 million to something I was doing anyway....i"m taking the money.

 

[Dizzy21]

If the guys on the squad could get the deal Caleb Williams can, you really believe they would be at Wesleyan?

Star athletes didn't create this mess. They are just finally in a position to maximize the benefits from it. If a bunch of boosters are willing to pay me $1 million to something I was doing anyway....i"m taking the money.

Its probably not worth a million dollars to go to some crap team, against some crap competition, with crap skill players around you. Chances are you get hurt or just don't play as well and you screw up your draft position and and lose millions.

 

[LIUCHusky]

Its probably not worth a million dollars to go to some crap team, against some crap competition, with crap skill players around you. Chances are you get hurt or just don't play as well and you screw up your draft position and and lose millions.

I sure hope you played on a team with no crap players. I especially hope you had more skill than those crap players at EMU. Do any of you ever think about what you say about these CRAP players? Anyone who sees the field at EMU is not a CRAP player. Who did you play against for your competition? Sure hope it wasan't against CRAP competition.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Its probably not worth a million dollars to go to some crap team, against some crap competition, with crap skill players around you. Chances are you get hurt or just don't play as well and you screw up your draft position and and lose millions.

He isn't going to a crap team...Where ever he goes will be deep and talented. I doubt he is an idiot.

 

[uconnfan68]

He isn't going to a crap team...Where ever he goes will be deep and talented. I doubt he is an idiot.

And it will cost them much more than $1mill.

 

[Dizzy21]

I sure hope you played on a team with no crap players. I especially hope you had more skill than those crap players at EMU. Do any of you ever think about what you say about these CRAP players? Anyone who sees the field at EMU is not a CRAP player. Who did you play against for your competition? Sure hope it wasan't against CRAP competition.

I'm sorry you can't handle the reality of life. EMU does not have a bunch of good players and it makes zero sense for a good player to risk their career to go there.

 

[Dizzy21]

He isn't going to a crap team...Where ever he goes will be deep and talented. I doubt he is an idiot.

That's pretty much my point. Everyone is getting their panties in a twirl over the million dollar offer from Eastern Michigan, when in fact it doesn't make financial sense. The whole buying players thing is quite overblown unless you are worried about one major P5 buying a player vs another major P5.

 

[Nostical]

$1m? He’ll be getting closer to $3m if he plays his hand correctly. Several SEC schools are offering (via various boosters—ie, Bubba Jones Jaguar) multi millions to 5 star recruits, let alone proven commodities. It’s totally out of control. If Williams lands at USC with Coach Lincoln Riley it will be for less but if he ends up in the SEC, rest assured he got a wheelbarrow full of green,

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Vowelguy]

Lol to Saban talking about an imbalance as to who dominates college football.

 

[huskymedic]

Lol to Saban talking about an imbalance as to who dominates college football.

 

[uconnfan68]

Lol to Saban talking about an imbalance as to who dominates college football.

Oh the irony!

 

[Watchdog]

End 501(c)(3) status for what? Universities?

The fact that individuals make salaries that people view as overly generous is very different than shareholders profiting because the university as a whole generates net income. We don't tax non-profits because since no one gets the profits, the money presumably gets poured back into public uses.

Athletic departments are a very small part of universities. The fact that coaches make a lot of money is hardly a reason to tax the entire university.

It's been a few years since I read "Billion Dollar Ball" so I'm not sure about some of the details, but Texas and some other schools have set up their athletic departments as separate corporations. As such, they're free of many encumbrances other athletic departments face.

I don't recall what "charitable purpose" nor the specific IRS code they fall under but I believe it still allows tax exempt status albeit without having to answer to or be regulated by the university's policies.

If what I recall is correct that could lead to loss of tax exempt status and all its benefits if Congress decided there is no charitable purpose to their being and changed the law. It's actually surprising the "progressives" haven't gone after this...........yet.

 

[UCFBfan]

This from the guy who's QB is getting $1 million for playing at Alabama??

 

[businesslawyer]

It's been a few years since I read "Billion Dollar Ball" so I'm not sure about some of the details, but Texas and some other schools have set up their athletic departments as separate corporations. As such, they're free of many encumbrances other athletic departments face.

I don't recall what "charitable purpose" nor the specific IRS code they fall under but I believe it still allows tax exempt status albeit without having to answer to or be regulated by the university's policies.

If what I recall is correct that could lead to loss of tax exempt status and all its benefits if Congress decided there is no charitable purpose to their being and changed the law. It's actually surprising the "progressives" haven't gone after this...........yet.

But here is the bottom line -- at the end of the day, there are two types of business entities -- those where the profits get paid out to owners and those where they don't. Even if an athletic department is its own separate corporation, at least to date no one gets to keep the profits. And if that's the case, then the only basis to tax them is the government saying "we don't think your purpose is truly charitable." First, do we want the government making those decisions? But more fundamentally, most of our taxes of business entities is on profits. Athletic departments don't make money and stockpile the proceeds -- they spend proceeds to get better athletic programs. So I ask again -- what exactly are you taxing, because net income won't produce anything?

 

[DoctorWho85]

It's ironic that Nick Saban is saying that, but at some point there will need to be some sort of regulation or else schools like Texas with deep pocketed donors are going to set up dummy NIL's to basically pay all the best recruits to go to the schools. That being said, if the kid can make a million dollars or more right now, good for him. I hope he gets every penny he can.

 

[UConnJim]

But here is the bottom line -- at the end of the day, there are two types of business entities -- those where the profits get paid out to owners and those where they don't. Even if an athletic department is its own separate corporation, at least to date no one gets to keep the profits. And if that's the case, then the only basis to tax them is the government saying "we don't think your purpose is truly charitable." First, do we want the government making those decisions? But more fundamentally, most of our taxes of business entities is on profits. Athletic departments don't make money and stockpile the proceeds -- they spend proceeds to get better athletic programs. So I ask again -- what exactly are you taxing, because net income won't produce anything?A company that

A company that reports a profit, but retains the profit, still pays tax on their income. And, there are some colleges that do make money on college athletics, so those profits could be taxed, but the vast majority of colleges do not make money on athletics. And, if there was a tax on profits, colleges would find a way to not report profits so taxing college athletic departments is really a mute point.

One of the biggest issues I see for college athletes if they become "employees" or are making large sums of money is that tuition reimbursement by an employer over a certain level is taxable, so would some portion of college athletic scholarships for "employees" become taxable?

I think student athletes should have two choices:

1) Receive a scholarship with cost of attendance and athlete benefits tax free.

2) Have college athletes pay taxes on their wages and benefits including tuition reimbursement as "employees".

I think the vast majority of athletes would choose option 1, but athletes with large NIL opportunities, like Paige Bueckers, would choose option 2.

 

[Nostical]

I think student athletes should have two choices:
1) Receive a scholarship with cost of attendance and athlete benefits tax free.
2) Have college athletes pay taxes on their wages and benefits including tuition reimbursement as "employees".

I like it, but how about injuries? Would the 2's (employees) be covered by the school's Worker's Comp policy? How about the 1's?

 

[phillionaire]

 

[UConnJim]

I like it, but how about injuries? Would the 2's (employees) be covered by the school's Worker's Comp policy? How about the 1's?

I put "employees" in quotes because I wouldn't advocate for athletes to become actual employees of the university. I meant that if you want to make money as a college football player, you should pay taxes on the cash and the benefits that you make.

As for athletic injuries, they typically don't inhibit your ability to earn a living although the injury could prevent the player from playing professionally. Players can insure themselves against injury if they are projected to be a high draft pick professional.

 

[Rich]

Well Jaxson Dart has entered the portal which means that Caleb Williams is.......heh, somewhat likely to transfer to USC (Williams was in LA for Rams/Niners yesterday). As a lifelong SC fan I don't hate this for the team's ability to compete. But morally it stinks. I did not think Riley would encourage that. as the program's reputation amongst recruits has deteriorated markedly the past few seasons and there's a lot of trust that needs to be built back there. Turns out I was wrong. The man is ruthless. We will see how this plays.

Jaxson has a lot of potential. I'd suggest Mora give him a call but he probably has his sights set on P5 program. Graham Harell, USC's offensive coordinator for the past couple of years and Dart's primary recruiter just got the OC job under Neil Brown as WVU so maybe he heads over there.

 

[Husky68]

How could that not be one of the intentions. Having a nice practice field or nice dorms or nice meals or great coaches to get you to the NFL; don't those get you to choose a school. Why would not $'s in your pocket (guaranteed by NIL partner) not be part of your decision to pick a school under this new set up?

Let those institutions that want to go all in on NIL get at it, soon enough the landscape will clear and college sports will be whatever it becomes. I remember when Olympics was for "amateurs" only so athletes had to get paid under table and when "grand slam tennis events" precluded Rod Laver because he was a professional.
Maybe
Now rather than anyone having to pay the next Lew Alcindor or Cory Maggettee or Cam Newton under the table, let the bidding be open and "fair". Maybe Saban's concerned the T. Boone Pickens of the world might out bid his boosters?

Maybe Bezos will want his alma mater to relive the Bill Bradley glory days and get at it. This could be fun to watch. The next Lebron could go to college, get mega bucks from Nike (or anyone for that matter) and have the fun of going to college for a year and competing for an NCAA tournament championship.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Its probably not worth a million dollars to go to some crap team, against some crap competition, with crap skill players around you. Chances are you get hurt or just don't play as well and you screw up your draft position and and lose millions.

Caleb Williams would absolutely dominate in the MAC. He might get hurt (though "chances are" is an enormous stretch), but if he can't dominate the MAC, he's not good enough to get drafted.