The Myth of the Unpaid College Athlete

[justinacolmena]

The problem isn't really men who play football.

It's the mentality or mindset of men who sit on their asses drinking beer and eating potato chips watching other men play football.

 

[Unkotare]

Good financial analysis.

But it leaves off the financial end of the equation. These players fill a 100,000 seat stadium ($120 a ticket) and make Ohio State and the Big 10 massive TV revenue. They also contribute to the “Brand” of OSU in alumni contributions, OSU merchandise and student enrollment.

I can see both sides of the argument, however the ones that entirely dismiss the value of the education are not being honest.

Also the opinion of anyone who leaves early to go the NFL is not worth much as they are by CHOICE leaving early to make the NFL level money.

This is mostly about football, as football has the highest time commitment. Basketball players have more time to at least try to focus on academics and make use of the scholarships they are getting.

Why do you think football has the greatest time commitment?

It's the most complicated sport with the largest roster.

Very true and we're off on a tangent here but that doesn't mean it's the hardest to play. Ice hockey is much more difficult.

"Difficult" is entirely subjective.

 

[Unkotare]

I frankly don't know how much time is occupied by being a Division I football player, or any other sport. ....

Clearly you do not know.

 

[Unkotare]

...the coaches did their best to occupy as much time as possible, in order to make themselves seem more important.
....

Second-hand mind reading? Impressive.

 

[candycorn]

This is analogous to an employee who works making a patented or proprietary product (very profitable), but is still well paid. So what?

NCAA athletes are extremely well paid. Make the same analysis for one of the other sports where the time commitment is only half of what it is for football. The hourly rate doubles (scholarship has the same value).

When 100,000 people pay $120 a ticket to watch that employee do his job, $45,000 a year does not seem that generous

The kid on a swimming scholarship is getting a bargain

Of course the OP is also leaving off the fact that if a player cannot fulfill the scholarship they were awarded due to injury or illness, it is usually taken from them and they are forgotten about by the institution.

There should be zero tax dollars spent on athletics; from Jr. High to High Schools on up. Private schools can have MMA teams if they want. Their money, their students, and their resources.

 

[Unkotare]

... the compensation of a full-ride scholarship is more than sufficient to compensate the players. The perceived need to pay them a salary on top of the scholarship is absurd.

In your completely and admittedly inexperienced opinion. And of course the dozens and dozens of threads you have started about how much you hate sports and envy athletes puts your opinion in just the right context.

 

[Unkotare]

...There should be zero tax dollars spent on athletics; from Jr. High to High Schools on up....

What about music? Art? School clubs, etc.?

 

[candycorn]

...There should be zero tax dollars spent on athletics; from Jr. High to High Schools on up....

What about music? Art? School clubs, etc.?

None of those either.

 

[Unkotare]

...There should be zero tax dollars spent on athletics; from Jr. High to High Schools on up....

What about music? Art? School clubs, etc.?

None of those either.

I don't think you're gonna find yourself on your local school board any time soon.

 

[candycorn]

...There should be zero tax dollars spent on athletics; from Jr. High to High Schools on up....

What about music? Art? School clubs, etc.?

None of those either.

I don't think you're gonna find yourself on your local school board any time soon.

Oh darn...I was so hoping to be on a board.

 

[Unkotare]

...There should be zero tax dollars spent on athletics; from Jr. High to High Schools on up....

What about music? Art? School clubs, etc.?

None of those either.

I don't think you're gonna find yourself on your local school board any time soon.

Oh darn...I was so hoping to be on a board.

Just as well. You might get bored.

 

[candycorn]

...There should be zero tax dollars spent on athletics; from Jr. High to High Schools on up....

What about music? Art? School clubs, etc.?

None of those either.

I don't think you're gonna find yourself on your local school board any time soon.

Oh darn...I was so hoping to be on a board.

Just as well. You might get bored.

Civil service was never meant to be exciting; was it?

 

[Unkotare]

...There should be zero tax dollars spent on athletics; from Jr. High to High Schools on up....

What about music? Art? School clubs, etc.?

None of those either.

I don't think you're gonna find yourself on your local school board any time soon.

Oh darn...I was so hoping to be on a board.

Just as well. You might get bored.

Civil service was never meant to be exciting; was it?

A pulse-pounding thrill ride!

 

[mgh80]

Good financial analysis.

But it leaves off the financial end of the equation. These players fill a 100,000 seat stadium ($120 a ticket) and make Ohio State and the Big 10 massive TV revenue. They also contribute to the “Brand” of OSU in alumni contributions, OSU merchandise and student enrollment.

I can see both sides of the argument, however the ones that entirely dismiss the value of the education are not being honest.

Also the opinion of anyone who leaves early to go the NFL is not worth much as they are by CHOICE leaving early to make the NFL level money.

This is mostly about football, as football has the highest time commitment. Basketball players have more time to at least try to focus on academics and make use of the scholarships they are getting.

Why do you think football has the greatest time commitment?

It's the most complicated sport with the largest roster.

Very true and we're off on a tangent here but that doesn't mean it's the hardest to play. Ice hockey is much more difficult.

"Difficult" is entirely subjective.

Of course it is subjective to an extent. But it's easier to serve a volleyball than it is to hit a fastball. ESPN did a study years ago to rank the most difficult sports to play. They broke it down into tons of categories and ice hockey was the second most difficult sport (Boxing being first).

 

[DrLove]

The problem isn't really men who play football.

It's the mentality or mindset of men who sit on their asses drinking beer and eating potato chips watching other men play football.

Why do you hate beer and potato chips?

 

[justinacolmena]

Why do you hate beer and potato chips?

It's junk. It could be vodka and barley chips, but it's the same thing. I really don't care for drugs and alcohol. I was somewhat amused one time to find a can of unfermented barley mash drink at an Asian grocery store in Seattle.

A sack of potatoes is much cheaper than a bag of potato chips, and some of those grains I prefer to cook and eat as breakfast cereal with milk and/or coffee to drink.

I don't really go for wine, either. With raisins, fresh grapes, grape jam etc. so cheap and plentiful, "grape juice" is almost to a point of hangover excess, (sulfites?) let alone fermented wine.

 

[DGS49]

This thread has nothing to do with liking or not liking sports. It is about a legal transaction wherein outstanding high school athletes are given a free choice to accept a scholarship to a college, or not. The scholarship has a value that is easily measured by the tuition, costs, and fees paid by EVERYONE ELSE; it is not speculative. The fact that others find the "education" valuable enough to pay those amounts is sufficient to demonstrate its value.

Clearly, the scholarship itself is worth an amount of approximately fifty thousand dollars per year. Regardless of the sport involved that works out to at least $50 per hour. To maintain that they are not "paid" is folly. If they would prefer to play their sport elsewhere, TO GET A JOB(!), or simply to go to college and pay their own way, those are all viable options to accepting the scholarship.

Accepting the scholarship and THEN claiming that the "deal" is unacceptable is bullshit. That's not the way life works. They can accept the scholarship or not. Period.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

This is analogous to an employee who works making a patented or proprietary product (very profitable), but is still well paid. So what?

NCAA athletes are extremely well paid. Make the same analysis for one of the other sports where the time commitment is only half of what it is for football. The hourly rate doubles (scholarship has the same value).

When 100,000 people pay $120 a ticket to watch that employee do his job, $45,000 a year does not seem that generous

The kid on a swimming scholarship is getting a bargain

Take any individual player on the football team and replace them with somebody else. How many fewer butts are in the stands? I'd venture to say "zero". So while yes Johnny or whomever plays on the team-are the fans really there to see Johnny or is it to really see the team as a whole?

Also Johnny gets tuition, per diem, room+board, etc.

They do NOT get per diem. I don't know where you got such a stupid idea. That is what the athletes want. If they go out to a restaurant, Mommy and/or Daddy pays.

 

[rightwinger]

This is analogous to an employee who works making a patented or proprietary product (very profitable), but is still well paid. So what?

NCAA athletes are extremely well paid. Make the same analysis for one of the other sports where the time commitment is only half of what it is for football. The hourly rate doubles (scholarship has the same value).

When 100,000 people pay $120 a ticket to watch that employee do his job, $45,000 a year does not seem that generous

The kid on a swimming scholarship is getting a bargain

Take any individual player on the football team and replace them with somebody else. How many fewer butts are in the stands? I'd venture to say "zero". So while yes Johnny or whomever plays on the team-are the fans really there to see Johnny or is it to really see the team as a whole?

Also Johnny gets tuition, per diem, room+board, etc.

They do NOT get per diem. I don't know where you got such a stupid idea. That is what the athletes want. If they go out to a restaurant, Mommy and/or Daddy pays.

Don’t they get per diem for road games?

 

[rightwinger]

he scholarship itself is worth an amount of approximately fifty thousand dollars per year. Regardless of the sport involved that works out to at least $50 per hour. To maintain that they are not "paid" is folly. If they would prefer to play their sport elsewhere, TO GET A JOB(!), or simply to go to college and pay their own way, those are all viable options to accepting the scholarship.

Your argument works up to the point where the College charges admission to see them play. Then, those admission fees are more than paying for the cost of the scholarship and the school is making a profit.