Whether or not to pay college athletes is a debate that never goes out of style. Even ESPN.com jumped on board this summer with "Pay For Play" , a week-long feature on this very topic.
The debate is fascinating to me, as college football and basketball generate huge amounts of revenue for individual schools yet the student-athletes do not get a cut of the revenues, a la the NFL. Of all the sports followed by a large amount of American sports fans, college football and basketball remain on the last frontiers of amateurism. Yes, technically NCAA student-athletes are amateurs, but improper benefits, especially in big-revenue sports have been given to select athletes for decades.
I have found that when "Pay for Play" is discussed in the media, it almost exclusively revolves around college football and basketball programs, their athletes, and the multi-billion dollar contracts that these sports generate. Less often discussed is the fact that most athletic departments actually lose money due to operational costs of the entire department. Also drawing less mention is the fact that if you are going to pay the star quarterback, due to Title IX, you also have to pay the female swimmer as well (This is not an indictment of Title IX, which protects both men's and women's sports. Most men's sports too, do not make revenue for their schools).
In one of the "Pay For Play" articles, Michael Wilbon writes that
that some college athletes deserve to be paid. However, he fails to outline a plan for even the limited number of athletes to be paid. With the expense of running a college athletic program and the revenues where they are at, how could there ever be an effective solution for paying all college athletes. Even in a fantasy world, where all college athletes were just paid a small amount of money per week (say, $120/week), this wouldn't stop the high profile athletes from obtaining or being offered improper benefits.
I don't think the current "compensation" system should be changed. I also don't think its perfect either, specifically, there are hardship cases where it seems like reasonable amounts of money can be provided. A lot of focus goes to the "1 and done" athletes in college basketball and select football players who don't make the most of their education. Behind the scenes, many college athletes are making the most of their education and definitely making do with what they are provided with. College sports are incredibly time consuming and difficult, but in exchange college athletes receive many benefits not offered to other college students.
For its impracticality, the ineffectiveness it would have at cutting off improper benefits, and the benefits afforded to student-athletes, college athletes should not be further compensated.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Check out Pre-Snap Read
If your looking for some in-depth coverage in to college football, I would reccomend visiting Pre-Snap Read , an independent blog dedicated to college football. The blog is edited by Paul Myerberg who can be followed on Twitter @PreSnapRead. My favorite thing on the blog is their on-going Season Countdown where they preview all 120 teams in FBS football, descending in rank from the worse team at No. 120 to No. 1. Every team report is remarkably in-depth, even for some of the lower-level Sun Belt and Conference USA teams. At the end of each report, Paul gives a clue about who the next team is; for some readers, guessing the next team is their favorite part of the blog. Today, Pre Snap Read is on No. 86,Wyoming. I check this blog pretty regularly, so the longer "Northwestern" doesn't show up on the Countdown, the better.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Fallout in Columbus
I was dissapointed to hear about the amount of lying and covering up Jim Tressel did over the past few months, ultimately costing him his job last week. In the coming months, it seems like Ohio State will get hit with signficant penalties, including the loss of scholarships and a possible bowl ban. Ohio State has owned the Big Ten over the past decade, so as a fan of another team, it would be easy to be happy about an apparant "changing of the guard." I do not necessarily feel this way. When one of the conference's marquee teams is down, like Michigan the past few seasons, the brand of the Big Ten suffers.
In the past week, many have compared the issues with Ohio State football to that of USC last year. USC was 8-5 last season after dealing with the initial shock of the Reggie Bush scandal and its accompanying penalties. It was pretty clear that once Tressel covered up for his players, that he would eventually lose his job and Ohio State would face penalties. However, I beleive OSU's penalties will be much more severe than USC.If USC's sanctions were largely the result of improper benefits to just two players, Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo, how can Ohio State not have a smaller penalty admist the reports that have circulated?
The current issue of Sports Illustrated includes a special investigative report into the violations of OSU players under Tressel. SI reported that 28 players, 22 more than what had previously been stated, had traded or sold memorabilia dating back to 2001. The fact that the memorbillia-for-tattoos culture has penetrated several recruiting classes indicates that this wasn't just restricted to a superstar player here and there like at USC.
For Ohio State to get to its typical 10-2/11-1 season, it would take a heck of a coaching job, by a rookie head coach, dealing with all the distractions. Even the most jaded Buckeye fan would admit they are not as confident in this season as in the past. It would not shock me if Ohio State lost three of the four games against Miami, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Nebraska. Despite everything, I would still be suprised if the Buckeyes had a worse season than 9-3.
As far as Tressel is concerned, I honestly can't see Jim Tressel coaching college football again at the BCS level. Maybe at a smaller division of college football, but after all the penalties blow up, no school is going to want to be associated with Tressel. If interim coach Luke Fickell does well, the interim tag will be removed. If not, a host of great candidates will emerge in 2012.
In the past week, many have compared the issues with Ohio State football to that of USC last year. USC was 8-5 last season after dealing with the initial shock of the Reggie Bush scandal and its accompanying penalties. It was pretty clear that once Tressel covered up for his players, that he would eventually lose his job and Ohio State would face penalties. However, I beleive OSU's penalties will be much more severe than USC.If USC's sanctions were largely the result of improper benefits to just two players, Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo, how can Ohio State not have a smaller penalty admist the reports that have circulated?
The current issue of Sports Illustrated includes a special investigative report into the violations of OSU players under Tressel. SI reported that 28 players, 22 more than what had previously been stated, had traded or sold memorabilia dating back to 2001. The fact that the memorbillia-for-tattoos culture has penetrated several recruiting classes indicates that this wasn't just restricted to a superstar player here and there like at USC.
For Ohio State to get to its typical 10-2/11-1 season, it would take a heck of a coaching job, by a rookie head coach, dealing with all the distractions. Even the most jaded Buckeye fan would admit they are not as confident in this season as in the past. It would not shock me if Ohio State lost three of the four games against Miami, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Nebraska. Despite everything, I would still be suprised if the Buckeyes had a worse season than 9-3.
As far as Tressel is concerned, I honestly can't see Jim Tressel coaching college football again at the BCS level. Maybe at a smaller division of college football, but after all the penalties blow up, no school is going to want to be associated with Tressel. If interim coach Luke Fickell does well, the interim tag will be removed. If not, a host of great candidates will emerge in 2012.
Monday, May 16, 2011
2011 ABC/ESPN CFB Primetime Schedule
College football is practically here! Well, not quite yet. However, The World Wide Leader has released its Big Ten prime-time schedule for the 2011 college football season:
•Sept. 1:UNLV at Wisconsin, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
•Sept. 10:Notre Dame at Michigan, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
•Oct. 1:Nebraska at Wisconsin, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
•Oct. 1:Notre Dame at Purdue, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
•Oct. 8: Ohio State at Nebraska, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
•Oct. 22:Wisconsin at Michigan State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN
•Oct. 29:Wisconsin at Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
Significance of Games:
Every game involves at least one team in ESPN's College Football Live preseason top 25...all three of the Big Ten co-champions from 2010 (OSU, MSU, and Wisconsin) will be covered at least once...The Wisconsin-UNLV game is a Thursday season-opener...The Notre Dame-Michigan will be the first ever-night game in Michigan Stadium...Nebraska's first two Big Ten conference games, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8, will be carried in prime-time...The MSU-Wisconsin game last year was Wisconsin's only loss of the season...The Wisconsin-OSU game last year was Ohio State's only loss of the season
(Courtesy of ESPN Media Zone iPhone App).
The Big Ten typically gets six primetime games on the ESPN "Family of Networks," but an exception was made for the seventh game. This schedule also doesn't take into account the Big Ten Network's list of prime-time games yet to be released.
•Sept. 1:UNLV at Wisconsin, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
•Sept. 10:Notre Dame at Michigan, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
•Oct. 1:Nebraska at Wisconsin, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
•Oct. 1:Notre Dame at Purdue, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
•Oct. 8: Ohio State at Nebraska, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
•Oct. 22:Wisconsin at Michigan State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN
•Oct. 29:Wisconsin at Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
Significance of Games:
Every game involves at least one team in ESPN's College Football Live preseason top 25...all three of the Big Ten co-champions from 2010 (OSU, MSU, and Wisconsin) will be covered at least once...The Wisconsin-UNLV game is a Thursday season-opener...The Notre Dame-Michigan will be the first ever-night game in Michigan Stadium...Nebraska's first two Big Ten conference games, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8, will be carried in prime-time...The MSU-Wisconsin game last year was Wisconsin's only loss of the season...The Wisconsin-OSU game last year was Ohio State's only loss of the season
(Courtesy of ESPN Media Zone iPhone App).
The Big Ten typically gets six primetime games on the ESPN "Family of Networks," but an exception was made for the seventh game. This schedule also doesn't take into account the Big Ten Network's list of prime-time games yet to be released.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
UPDATED: Pat Fitzgerald Contract Extention
Updating a previous story, Northwestern extended the contact of Coach Pat Fritzgerald through the 2020 season. The former All-American linebacker at Northwestern finished his fifth season as head coach and has a record of 34-29. His previous contact ran until 2015, so basically, Fitzgerald is getting a new 10 year deal which starts in 2011. The 10 year contract, is the first of its kind in NU athletic history.
This demonstates NU's increasing committment to athletics. Fitzgerald himself, has remained committed to his alma mater in the face of potential offers (Michigan, Notre Dame, and Stanford all rumored to have interest during their recent coaching searches). Fitzgerald was first approached with the extension in January, but he held off until assurance that NU would improve its athletic facilities in order to remain competitive with recruiting.
According to Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune, the contract is worth $1.8 million (NU isn't obligated to release its finanical data).
Previous Story:
The Northwestern blog, Sippin' On Purple, is among several outlets reporting the impending announcement of a contract extension for Pat Fitzgerald. His current contract runs out at the end of the 2015 season.
The NU football coach has led the Wildcats to a record of 34-29 in his five seasons at the helm. Yes, the record doesn't seem terribly impressive, but consider that Coach Fitz is the first coach in school history to lead a team to three consecutive bowl appearances. Also, Fitzgerald will enter the 2011 season only 15 wins shy of tying the NU all-time record for coaching victories. Oh, and he's only 36, still one of the youngest (and most charismatic) coaches in college football.
Considering these facts and the team's past futility, NU is clearly enjoying its best years. While Fitzgerald's extension has been in the works for several months, the details will finally be revealed today during a press conference. (Of course, since Northwestern is a private institution, it is not obligated to release the amount of the contract).
This demonstates NU's increasing committment to athletics. Fitzgerald himself, has remained committed to his alma mater in the face of potential offers (Michigan, Notre Dame, and Stanford all rumored to have interest during their recent coaching searches). Fitzgerald was first approached with the extension in January, but he held off until assurance that NU would improve its athletic facilities in order to remain competitive with recruiting.
According to Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune, the contract is worth $1.8 million (NU isn't obligated to release its finanical data).
Previous Story:
The Northwestern blog, Sippin' On Purple, is among several outlets reporting the impending announcement of a contract extension for Pat Fitzgerald. His current contract runs out at the end of the 2015 season.
The NU football coach has led the Wildcats to a record of 34-29 in his five seasons at the helm. Yes, the record doesn't seem terribly impressive, but consider that Coach Fitz is the first coach in school history to lead a team to three consecutive bowl appearances. Also, Fitzgerald will enter the 2011 season only 15 wins shy of tying the NU all-time record for coaching victories. Oh, and he's only 36, still one of the youngest (and most charismatic) coaches in college football.
Considering these facts and the team's past futility, NU is clearly enjoying its best years. While Fitzgerald's extension has been in the works for several months, the details will finally be revealed today during a press conference. (Of course, since Northwestern is a private institution, it is not obligated to release the amount of the contract).
Monday, May 9, 2011
NBA Draft Entry Deadline
Yesterday was the deadline for college underclassmen to withdraw from the NBA Draft, so any player who didn't withdraw, forfeits the rest of their college eligibility.
Fortunately for Northwestern, junior John Shurna withdrew from the NBA Draft, as expected. Many players declare for the draft simply to get feedback from NBA personnel on how to improve their game and end up returning to school. The Wildcats lucked out; they are already losing one of the best players in school history in Michael Thompson, so to lose the player who could be the best player in NU history would have been a huge, huge loss.
Other schools weren't so lucky, as noted on the Yahoo! college basketball blog. Texas' pair of star freshman Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson, will remain in the NBA Draft. The Longhorns could have headed into the 2011-2012 as a preseason Final Four favorite, but it seems like now they will struggle to replace the two star freshman. Now that Nebraska and Colorado have left the Big 12, teams will play 18 conference games instead of 16 (so every Big 12 teams plays a double round robin), which won't make things easier for the Longhorns. However, the Yahoo! list of schools doesn't account for schools like Kansas, who had several players (Markieff and Marcus Morris, Josh Selby) announce their intentions shortly after the end of the NCAA season. It looks like neither Texas or Kansas will enter 2011-12 as strong as they usually enter a season.
Also on the Yahoo! list was Butler's Shelvin Mack announcing that he will be staying in the draft and ending his career with the Bulldogs. For those quick to diminish Butler for next season, remember that their best player two seasons ago, Gordon Hayward, also left early for the NBA and then Butler made it back to their second national championship appearance. Even though, Butler also loses Matt Howard, I wouldn't bet against Butler coach Brad Stevens.
Overall, the 2011 NBA Draft is perceived as "soft" compared to past years where their was a consensus top selection. It looks like the previously popular trend to enter college after one freshman season is being put on hold somewhat. Several of the NCAA's top freshmen, Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, Baylor's Perry Jones, and Brandon Knight of Kentucky decided not to enter the NBA draft. In the past few years, talented "one and done players" highlighted the lottery pick selections in the Draft. That is not to say that every star freshman is returning, as Duke point guard Kyrie Irving entered the draft could end up as potentially the #1 overall pick.
Fortunately for Northwestern, junior John Shurna withdrew from the NBA Draft, as expected. Many players declare for the draft simply to get feedback from NBA personnel on how to improve their game and end up returning to school. The Wildcats lucked out; they are already losing one of the best players in school history in Michael Thompson, so to lose the player who could be the best player in NU history would have been a huge, huge loss.
Other schools weren't so lucky, as noted on the Yahoo! college basketball blog. Texas' pair of star freshman Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson, will remain in the NBA Draft. The Longhorns could have headed into the 2011-2012 as a preseason Final Four favorite, but it seems like now they will struggle to replace the two star freshman. Now that Nebraska and Colorado have left the Big 12, teams will play 18 conference games instead of 16 (so every Big 12 teams plays a double round robin), which won't make things easier for the Longhorns. However, the Yahoo! list of schools doesn't account for schools like Kansas, who had several players (Markieff and Marcus Morris, Josh Selby) announce their intentions shortly after the end of the NCAA season. It looks like neither Texas or Kansas will enter 2011-12 as strong as they usually enter a season.
Also on the Yahoo! list was Butler's Shelvin Mack announcing that he will be staying in the draft and ending his career with the Bulldogs. For those quick to diminish Butler for next season, remember that their best player two seasons ago, Gordon Hayward, also left early for the NBA and then Butler made it back to their second national championship appearance. Even though, Butler also loses Matt Howard, I wouldn't bet against Butler coach Brad Stevens.
Overall, the 2011 NBA Draft is perceived as "soft" compared to past years where their was a consensus top selection. It looks like the previously popular trend to enter college after one freshman season is being put on hold somewhat. Several of the NCAA's top freshmen, Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, Baylor's Perry Jones, and Brandon Knight of Kentucky decided not to enter the NBA draft. In the past few years, talented "one and done players" highlighted the lottery pick selections in the Draft. That is not to say that every star freshman is returning, as Duke point guard Kyrie Irving entered the draft could end up as potentially the #1 overall pick.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Bradley News & Notes (5/5)
I received an e-mail today from the Chicago Area Bradley Alumni Network notifying of some upcoming events. It looks like Geno Ford is making the rounds to meet alumni and generate some buzz about the basketball team. On June 26th, at the Oak Brook Hills Marriott, the BU Alumni Network is hosting a Complimentary Reception to meet Coach Ford. The event is from 3-5 pm and more information is available via the BU Alumni Office at 800-952-8258.
Today was a good day for Geno Ford's predecessor, Jim Les, who was hired as the head coach at UC-Davis. Les' son Tyler is a guard on the team, and UC-Davis is fairly close to Sacramento where Coach Les played for the NBA's Sacramento Kings. Even though his coaching tenure didn't end on the best note, Jim Les is an important figure in Bradley basketball history and I hope he has a successful tenure at UC-Davis.
Today was a good day for Geno Ford's predecessor, Jim Les, who was hired as the head coach at UC-Davis. Les' son Tyler is a guard on the team, and UC-Davis is fairly close to Sacramento where Coach Les played for the NBA's Sacramento Kings. Even though his coaching tenure didn't end on the best note, Jim Les is an important figure in Bradley basketball history and I hope he has a successful tenure at UC-Davis.
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