The "Deal" between Colleges and Athletes

[DGS49]

Imagine a world where Colleges, whose raison d'être is, you know, education, in attempting to provide harmless diversions for their students when they are not in class or studying, fielded a variety of teams to play games and compete with teams from other schools. Now imagine that some of those colleges took the games more seriously than any rational person would recommend, and they decided to try to attract skilled game-players by offering them a "free" college education if they came and played games for the school.

So in this world, skilled high school grads getting these offers had the option of playing their games in exchange for getting a fine college education, or growing up, getting a job, and starting the process of becoming an adult.

To be clear now, the "deal" is, "You play a game for me, and I will give you a free college education." The EDUCATION is the compensation you get for playing your game for our school.

While I don't support this in even the least measure; I think it is stupid and counterproductive (as does the Rest of the Civilized World), I understand it.

But...

NCAA, leagues back $2.8 billion settlement, setting stage for dramatic change across college sports

The NCAA and the nation's five biggest conferences said Thursday night they have agreed to pay nearly $2.8 billion to settle a host of antitrust claims,...

www.post-gazette.com

This is insane. And I suspect that it would not exist if the NFL and NBA each supported a true "minor league" system, such as MLB has had for eons. The result is,

• Millions of hours of kids's wasted time playing games rather than doing something productive, in the hope of getting a college scholarship to study Art History,
• Thousands of college students who have no business being in a college classroom,
• Colleges creating bullshit courses and majors, and dedicating armies of student-tutors trying to keep the athletes academically eligible,
• Thousands of Yoots spending 4-5 years in college and ending up with either no degree or a degree in something worthless,
• Actual college students wasting untold hours in and around games and other sports events.

Ironically, Title IX has resulted in a dramatically increased number of student athletes who actually graduate, because girls tend to, you know, graduate when they go to college.

I have no personal interest in this world of college sports, and I didn't have any interest when I was actually in college, but it is a national embarrassment. One of the few good things about it is that former student-athletes are not drowning in a sea of college loan debt.

 

[Anathema]

What you have to understand is that the “student-athletes” largely have no interest in an education. At the major schools, the only reason the kids are there is to provide a venue to market their skills to the pro leagues. The education part is largely ignored by the athletes.

On the other hand the schools don’t care because the athlete is helping the school bring in millions of dollars of revenue.

It’s a symbiotic relationship.

 

[1srelluc]

I have no personal interest in this world of college sports.....

LOL....For someone that shows no interest you sure are long-winded about the whole thing.

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

Imagine a world where Colleges, whose raison d'être is, you know, education, in attempting to provide harmless diversions for their students when they are not in class or studying, fielded a variety of teams to play games and compete with teams from other schools. Now imagine that some of those colleges took the games more seriously than any rational person would recommend, and they decided to try to attract skilled game-players by offering them a "free" college education if they came and played games for the school.

So in this world, skilled high school grads getting these offers had the option of playing their games in exchange for getting a fine college education, or growing up, getting a job, and starting the process of becoming an adult.

To be clear now, the "deal" is, "You play a game for me, and I will give you a free college education." The EDUCATION is the compensation you get for playing your game for our school.

While I don't support this in even the least measure; I think it is stupid and counterproductive (as does the Rest of the Civilized World), I understand it.

But...

NCAA, leagues back $2.8 billion settlement, setting stage for dramatic change across college sports

The NCAA and the nation's five biggest conferences said Thursday night they have agreed to pay nearly $2.8 billion to settle a host of antitrust claims,...

www.post-gazette.com

This is insane. And I suspect that it would not exist if the NFL and NBA each supported a true "minor league" system, such as MLB has had for eons. The result is,

• Millions of hours of kids's wasted time playing games rather than doing something productive, in the hope of getting a college scholarship to study Art History,
• Thousands of college students who have no business being in a college classroom,
• Colleges creating bullshit courses and majors, and dedicating armies of student-tutors trying to keep the athletes academically eligible,
• Thousands of Yoots spending 4-5 years in college and ending up with either no degree or a degree in something worthless,
• Actual college students wasting untold hours in and around games and other sports events.

Ironically, Title IX has resulted in a dramatically increased number of student athletes who actually graduate, because girls tend to, you know, graduate when they go to college.

I have no personal interest in this world of college sports, and I didn't have any interest when I was actually in college, but it is a national embarrassment. One of the few good things about it is that former student-athletes are not drowning in a sea of college loan debt.

In major change, college athletes set to be paid directly by schools

Looks like their finally going to erase 150 years of tradition and turn college athletes into pros. Amateur means nothing anymore~ https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/40206364/ncaa-power-conferences-agree-allow-schools-pay-players The NCAA and its five power conferences have agreed...

www.usmessageboard.com

 

[Unkotare]

...

I have no personal interest in this world of college sports, and I didn't have any interest when I was actually in college....

You mean you didn't have any ABILITY when you were (supposedly) in college.

 

[Unkotare]

What you have to understand is that the “student-athletes” largely have no interest in an education. ...

That ^^^^^ is a lie.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Imagine a world where Colleges, whose raison d'être is, you know, education, in attempting to provide harmless diversions for their students when they are not in class or studying, fielded a variety of teams to play games and compete with teams from other schools. Now imagine that some of those colleges took the games more seriously than any rational person would recommend, and they decided to try to attract skilled game-players by offering them a "free" college education if they came and played games for the school.

So in this world, skilled high school grads getting these offers had the option of playing their games in exchange for getting a fine college education, or growing up, getting a job, and starting the process of becoming an adult.

To be clear now, the "deal" is, "You play a game for me, and I will give you a free college education." The EDUCATION is the compensation you get for playing your game for our school.

While I don't support this in even the least measure; I think it is stupid and counterproductive (as does the Rest of the Civilized World), I understand it.

But...

NCAA, leagues back $2.8 billion settlement, setting stage for dramatic change across college sports

The NCAA and the nation's five biggest conferences said Thursday night they have agreed to pay nearly $2.8 billion to settle a host of antitrust claims,...

www.post-gazette.com

This is insane. And I suspect that it would not exist if the NFL and NBA each supported a true "minor league" system, such as MLB has had for eons. The result is,

• Millions of hours of kids's wasted time playing games rather than doing something productive, in the hope of getting a college scholarship to study Art History,
• Thousands of college students who have no business being in a college classroom,
• Colleges creating bullshit courses and majors, and dedicating armies of student-tutors trying to keep the athletes academically eligible,
• Thousands of Yoots spending 4-5 years in college and ending up with either no degree or a degree in something worthless,
• Actual college students wasting untold hours in and around games and other sports events.

Ironically, Title IX has resulted in a dramatically increased number of student athletes who actually graduate, because girls tend to, you know, graduate when they go to college.

I have no personal interest in this world of college sports, and I didn't have any interest when I was actually in college, but it is a national embarrassment. One of the few good things about it is that former student-athletes are not drowning in a sea of college loan debt.

In the days of NIL and the transfer portal, college sports has become professional at the college level. Everything you stated went out the window when NIL made college sports open to the highest bidder.

A really good look at this issue is looking at Bo Nix, the former Auburn quarterback who was following in his father's footsteps. When the NIL came out, he signed with a sponsor for an iced tea company in Alabama. He was set for a good start until he ran into Bryan Harsin. Before his head coach Harsin was fired, he entered the transfer portal and switched to the University of Oregon where he was eventually a Heisman nominee. He played in more college games than any quarterback in college football. He was drafted highly it and will be playing in the NFL this fall for the Denver Broncos.

What do you think the odds are that he finished his degree? I found nothing on that he had.

There are two ways to look at this. For Nix as a player, it worked out great. For Auburn, they lost a great player to Oregon all because he wanted away from that coach, which they fired, but the damage was done. All of that made possible by the NIL and transfer portal. The odd thing is Auburn fans were happy for him!

 

[Unkotare]

Too bad the NCAA didn't throw some cash my way back when I was in college.