For those that care...(Miami related)

[CoeburnCane]

The NCAA has you right where they want you.

So when are you burning all of those Maryland jerseys, hats, and other apparel you own in protest of the Nazi-double-A?

You're part of the "problem" that you're snobbishly looking down your nose at me, Biggin, and everyone else who is a D1 college sports fan. Quit being the epitome of a hypocrite.

[1inStripes]

I've got mine ready, how about you?

[Biggin]

The NCAA has you right where they want you.

FWIW, I only said the major BCS schools for football and basketball are like this. Most NCAA schools even at the DI level are perfectly fine. The word student athlete and the SEC when it comes to football and basketball should never be mentioned though.

Oh so I guess Greg McElroy just bought his way to a Rhodes scholar.
and Barrett Jones, with a 4.0 GPA
or UGA punter and Ray Guy winner Drew Butler, who is a Presidential Scholar at UGA
and guys like Myron Rolle in the ACC, who went to OXFORD and wants to be a neuro-surgeon, '
or Heath Shuler, who played in the SEC and is now a politician.
I could go on forever, thats just off top of my head.

[1inStripes]

or UGA punter and Ray Guy winner Drew Butler, who is a Presidential Scholar at UGA

Who considers a punter an athlete?

[gcdevil22]

I've heard both sides of this argument a lot in the time I've worked in college athletics, so I'll put my .02 in

first off, there's no easy way to put it, but some kids just don't belong in college...white, black, asian, hispanic, etc....it's not a race issue...some kids just aren't ready either physically, mentally or socially to be in a college environment

also, colleges make millions of dollars off of these athletes every single year...jersey sales, poster sales, all kinds of memorabilia...not to mention gate sales and dinners thrown where boosters pay money to have dinner and mingle with the athletes

at the same time, let's be real...the athletes do get some payment and also receive other benefits

they get paid in...

Room
Board
Tuition
Fees
Books
Stipends when on-campus dining is closed (~$50 per week)
clothes (by the time they leave, they will receive above $10,000 in clothes alone)
bags and gear (book bags, traveling bags, laundry bags, etc)
free meals twice per week (amazing meals that are usually catered by local restaurants)

and different benefits such as...

priority class scheduling
parking advantages
living advantages
social advantages (lots of groupies out there)
an academic support staff catered to helping them graduate

by the same token, there's lots of disadvantages as well...

you live in a fishbowl, everything you do is seen and judged
many teachers stereotype athletes and grade accordingly
jealousy among some groups of regular students
can't trust too many people outside your inner circle b/c you never know who is trying to make a buck
the hours upon hours spent in the gym or on the field, practicing or training (when you put together all the hours spent training/practicing, it is equivalent to working just below a full-time job AND going to school)


so with that information in mind, let me get to how I propose we approach the "pay for play" conundrum...

let me preface by saying I am only going to attack college basketball, because it's the sport I am most familiar with...many of the same principles can apply to the other sports but will need to be looked at according to the different needs and expectations of the sports

(1) the NBA needs to allow kids to enter the NBA Draft directly out of high school...if we can ship kids at 18 to fight our battles overseas, you cannot tell me that an 18-year old can't be prepared to play in the NBA

(2) if a kid decided to go to the NBA and does not get drafted in the first round (meaning he has no guaranteed contract) he should be allowed to choose a school to attend....however he would have to sit out the first semester of play (deterring fringe high schoolers from entering the draft only to check their status)

(3) once enrolled in college, a player must stay 2 years AND pass enough credits to earn an associate's degree...making it a little easier on the athlete should he be sidelined due to injury early in his career

(4) early entrants into the NBA draft after their 2nd year should not effect the school's APR, if and only if, the player met enough credits to obtain an associate's degree

(5) over the course of his collegiate career, if the school chooses to use the athlete's image, likeness or playing number as a means to sell any product, the athlete should get a % of each sale

(6) all Universities will have a cap placed on how many different jersey numbers can be used in a given year...my proposal is 3...this would keep bigger schools with lots of money from having a recruiting advantage by promising x amount of players to have their jersey made by the school, thus promising money on that sale

(7) the athlete can not touch any of the money made from the sale of any product until he has earned his degree

(8) if a player enters the draft, leaves a school to transfer, is kicked out because of school violation(s), or simply quits...he forfeits his right to any money earned through the sale of any product that used his likeness...if someone leaves early for the draft, they obviously don't need the money...and if they leave the school for any other reason, it is treated like a breach-of-contract and all money earned is void

(9) if a player graduates ahead of the scheduled 4 years, an extra $X is added to the final amount he will be paid at the end of his collegiate career

(10) if a player finishes a semester above a 3.5 GPA (Dean's List) an extra $X is added to the final amount he will be paid at the end of his collegiate career

add extra incentives for both athletic and academic accomplishments...

All-American
X Award Winner
Academic All-American
Rhodes Scholar

as well as team accomplishments...

conference titles
national titles
final four appearances
ncaa tournament appearances

anything that brings notoriety to the university solely because of the hard work of the athlete

this also gives every single athlete on the team a chance to earn money as a part of the team...the last player off the bench can still earn X amount of dollars by meeting the academic requirements and staying out of trouble

there should also be penalties for failed classes, arrests, class absences and anything else deemed acceptable of a reduction in pay

I also think this really helps smaller universities as well, as players will want to go to a school where they can be "the man" and get his or her jersey made every single year and rack of lots of money at the end of his career, rather than sit on the bench at a perennial powerhouse...thus evening out the balance of power in college athletics and maybe opening up the door for a TCU or Boise St to finally be recognized by the BCS

[pvfan]

That might quite possibly be the best plan I have ever heard for athletics. You my friend are much smarter than you look.

[1inStripes]

Mike Leech head coach at Maryland 2011.