CFB Live Interview with Robert Smith

Did anyone catch the segment on CFB where Robert Smith discussed the need for the NCAA to evolve with player compensation? I am paraphrasing, but he brought up having sanctioned autograph sessions where the players get paid for their autographs.

This is getting ridiculous. I love football especially college football. But, I am sorry, I am just getting tired of these ex-college football announcers thinking these athletes need even more. With the rising costs of education, these athletes are already getting 4-5 years of paid higher learning (some a value of over $100K) if they choose to take advantage of it. I can't imagine the economic impact on my life, if I could have graduated college with no debt.

I know the argument is that these athletes are creating a plethora of cash for the universities that they go too, I get it. However, how many of us work our tails off the first part of our career so that the employer can reap the bulk of the rewards. The answer most all of us, it is called putting your time in.

Sorry for the rant on a Saturday morning, just thought I would see what all the fanatics thought.

This seriously is one of the top 2 or 3 posts i've ever seen on this site. I can't believe Robert Smith of all people would advocate for this. Athletes get it so easy anyways with more access to tutoring, some get their own dining halls, and not to mention free education.

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Originally Posted by CloneSolo

I know the argument is that these athletes are creating a plethora of cash for the universities that they go too, I get it.

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Yeah, and what they ignore is that that "plethora of cash" goes to pay for the non-revenue sports. Adding additional compensation to football or basketball players may actually mean cutting other sports.

If they start paying college athletes, they would need to pay every athlete evenly across the board. A player on the tennis team gets the same amount as the starting quarterback for the top program in the country.

Also, if they started paying athletes, the NCAA would have to be more serious about punishment. Enforce stricter penalties on schools and athletes found to be taking improper benefits.

I am surprised to see RS suggesting this. I really don't think some people are giving this enough thought. I have been starting to become disappointed with the current direction of CFB. They might as well run down the hill they have been heading down. In the valley is the end of CFB as we know it. It is all about the $$$$ more than ever. I blame ESPN to a degree.

I agree. Seeing former professional players say college players should get paid is ridiculous. Playing college sports is a choice you make, you don't have to do it. You're getting "paid" quite a bit through the cost of education. You choose to play a game you love and get a free education in the process. It isn't a right, its something you choose to do in order to get a scholarship.

The BIG10 has already started discussing paying each athelete $3000 a year for compensation, to spend on whatever they want. By recognizing this, the conference is probably hoping that pacifies players for now.

The problem is if you want to try to play professional football or basketball, playing at a major college is really you're only option, even if you would otherwise have no desire to go to college. Baseball players can sign out of high school and make money as they develop their skills in the minor league system. For the NFL and NBA, major colleges are their minor league system, and of course the NCAA and colleges love it for all the money these athletes generate. Many of these athletes would never go to college if they had a minor league option like the baseball players do, so it's a little unfair to get down on them if they want compensated for the zillions they generate in some way other than the free education, which many of them could care less about when their goal is to get to the NFL or NBA.

Does anyone think that once athletes start to get paid that the tax exemption will go away for college athletics?

What they're not saying is that a full-ride scholarship DOES cover all the normal costs of attendance.

Choose to live off campus (more expensive?).
Choose to spend money on non-essential items.

And now all of a sudden they can't make ends meet? Boo freaking hoo.

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Originally Posted by RING4CY

If they start paying college athletes, they would need to pay every athlete evenly across the board. A player on the tennis team gets the same amount as the starting quarterback for the top program in the country.

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Not only that, but how do you handle all the guys with partial scholarships? Wrestling, swimming, golf, track -- those aren't "headcount" sports like football and hoops.

If you propose that $3K will make up the balance for a 100% scholarship, then how much does the wrestler on a 20% scholarship get? $600 (20% of $3K)? The full $3K? That would almost double what that wrestler is already receiving. All of a sudden that's not "fair" to the football player who is "only" getting a small percentage on top of his full ride.

It's a terrible idea across the board.

As long as the money generated by college sports is being used for the benefit of the university, I don't see why the tax situation would change. It would be nice if a system could be devised so the players would be paid by the NFL and NBA since they benefit so much from the way the system has developed. Figuring out how that could be done would take somebody a lot smarter than me.

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Originally Posted by CYKOFAN

The problem is if you want to try to play professional football or basketball, playing at a major college is really you're only option, even if you would otherwise have no desire to go to college. Baseball players can sign out of high school and make money as they develop their skills in the minor league system. For the NFL and NBA, major colleges are their minor league system, and of course the NCAA and colleges love it for all the money these athletes generate. Many of these athletes would never go to college if they had a minor league option like the baseball players do, so it's a little unfair to get down on them if they want compensated for the zillions they generate in some way other than the free education, which many of them could care less about when their goal is to get to the NFL or NBA.

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The NBA D-League is an existing, viable option for basketball players who don't want to go to college. If the NBA gets rid of the one and done rule in the next CBA and implements a system like MLB, you will see some elite HS players going straight to D-League where they should have been in the first place.

If the folks hollering that college FB players should be paid have every right to start their own minor league FB system or engage others to do so. That quickly shuts them up.

You cannot pay college athletes unless they all get paid. And if they start getting paid, you can run into a myriad of other issues like workers comp, insurance, etc. that would likely put a halt to everything. Also, there are existing Pell Grants which assist financially needy student-athletes as well as emergency assistance funds for athletes who need money for emergency travel or other needs.

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Originally Posted by cykadelic2

The NBA D-League is an existing, viable option for basketball players who don't want to go to college. If the NBA gets rid of the one and done rule in the next CBA and implements a system like MLB, you will see some elite HS players going straight to D-League where they should have been in the first place.

If the folks hollering that college FB players should be paid have every right to start their own minor league FB system or engage others to do so. That quickly shuts them up.

You cannot pay college athletes unless they all get paid. And if they start getting paid, you can run into a myriad of other issues like workers comp, insurance, etc. that would likely put a halt to everything. Also, there are existing Pell Grants which assist financially needy student-athletes as well as emergency assistance funds for athletes who need money for emergency travel or other needs.

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High school players can already go straight to the D-League. There's no age limit for the D-League.

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Originally Posted by CyJack13

High school players can already go straight to the D-League. There's no age limit for the D-League.

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That's why I wrote that it is an "existing, viable" option for HS players. I believe only one player has gone straight from HS to D-League and he was not an elite player.