Paying Players

[CRcyclone6]

This along with Title 9 shoot a huge hole in paying College athletes.

I didn't even think about this. No way Title 9'ers will let football players make more than women's anything.

[Tornado man]

I would go out on a limb and say that most of the people commenting on this thread have never endured the type of rigor that a student-athlete endures.....especially football players.

These student-athletes are an investment by the university.

I worked for the athletic dept. in the tutoring office as an undergrad, and can say that many football players could have could have applied some "rigor" to their academics.
Also, don't forget that many of these student athletes wouldn't have qualified for admission to a school like ISU were it not for their athletics scholarship offer.

[coachdags]

My issue is this. A full athletic scholarship includes tuition, fees, housing allowance, an on-campus dining plan, books (I think), etc.

What more do they need? Do we need to start giving them a stipend so that they can go out to the bars and get tatoos?

And since when was giving a 4 year athlete over 100k not enough. Its a pretty good deal if you ask me.

they also receive free travel to a mulitude of places for road games, tournaments, bowl games ect. I realize some of these are like business trips, but some over their 4 year period are not. Full scholarship College Athletes are compensated in a decent matter.

The problem has been the "Money" is out of control for tickets, TV deals, sponsorships ect...The NCAA tournament for Basketball is ridiculous that a College Student has to pay $75 a game to watch his fellow classmates play....?

[CyDude16]

No they get a scholarship and stipens from the university and advantages that the typical student doesn't get. Im sick of the woe is mr attitude by student athletes. Get an off season job, loan, etc.

[icecreamclone34]

You really dont know what it is like to be be a Division 1 athlete. First of all, all athletes do not qualify for Pell Grants. As far as working, I know first hand of players with summer jobs working 30-40 hrs/wk and alot of times into the evening To 10-11 o'clock and weekends. Now do you get up at five in the morning to lift weights and work out to be followed by a rushed breakfast and then to class,followed by afternoon volunteer work and study time, and time spent during the week for passing league and running. They are required to be on campus. They have one week after classes end in spring to come home and another at the end of July before starting preseason camp. As far as working in the fall they cant. They carry a full caseload and + for many with the same early morning lift schedule and meetings/pracitice/treatment etc. starting at approx. 1:30PM and extending into the evening followed by supper and then study with some sleep and start all over. Dont forget the time for travel and missed work that they also have to make up. THIS IS A FULL TIME JOB PLUS SCHOOL. THEY DESERVE WHAT THEY WORK SO HARD FOR. Not saying that they should be paid but money is tight if no grants. Now does is sound like you could handle this job with its physical demands on top of all this. Dont criticize unless you have been in their shoes!!

[CycloneErik]

Paragraphs are a nice way to make a point. Sometimes even making several short ones when you change points. That's a difficult post even for a professional reader to follow.

Basically, their demands are difficult, that's why they're called demands. At the same time, every student on campus faces demands, choices in priorities between family, friends, work and school.

I've been sympathetic to the idea of paying athletes before, but it looks worse and worse the more I look at it. Sure, it's a FT job, but everything is paid for. Unless you're going to make these accommodations for other students, paying athletes isn't going to work.

[cyinne]

Here is an article from today written by Joe Paterno's son Jay. Jay is the qb coach for his pops. Pretty interesting read about how athletes that get scholarships are already so far ahead of those that are just regular students.

Student athletes should be given facts like these when they sign on the dotted line for their "free ride."

State College, PA - Jay Paterno: Pay Student-Athletes? They're Already Getting a Great Deal

[kingcy]

It seems they have plenty of money get get tattoos and video games. What ohter extras are they getting with the money the get now. I remember a pic of Stinsons and WB's apt and they had a huge TV in it. If you give them more money what are they going to blow it on, because they wont save it. When you are in college there is only so much money you need.

Dont forget many of these athletes also get a leg up once they enter the job market as well. With their free college, free room, free food, under the table money and gifts, free clothes and free tutors they are not getting a raw deal.

[Tre4ISU]

We already give them a stipend. I fairly decent sized one at that. It's enough to live off of when you are forced to pay for exactly nothing. The system is just fine the way it is. It just needs more enforcement. I don't really blame the NCAA for that. They can't afford to hire people to make sure every athlete is on the up and up. This falls on the coaches and administration.

[Tre4ISU]

Also, I know at least a few of our players hold jobs this summer. I thought it was nice to hear.

[Tre4ISU]

You really dont know what it is like to be be a Division 1 athlete. First of all, all athletes do not qualify for Pell Grants. As far as working, I know first hand of players with summer jobs working 30-40 hrs/wk and alot of times into the evening To 10-11 o'clock and weekends. Now do you get up at five in the morning to lift weights and work out to be followed by a rushed breakfast and then to class,followed by afternoon volunteer work and study time, and time spent during the week for passing league and running. They are required to be on campus. They have one week after classes end in spring to come home and another at the end of July before starting preseason camp. As far as working in the fall they cant. They carry a full caseload and + for many with the same early morning lift schedule and meetings/pracitice/treatment etc. starting at approx. 1:30PM and extending into the evening followed by supper and then study with some sleep and start all over. Dont forget the time for travel and missed work that they also have to make up. THIS IS A FULL TIME JOB PLUS SCHOOL. THEY DESERVE WHAT THEY WORK SO HARD FOR. Not saying that they should be paid but money is tight if no grants. Now does is sound like you could handle this job with its physical demands on top of all this. Dont criticize unless you have been in their shoes!!

There's some issues with this post. I understand the commitment, I really do. The problem is that there are students who do that and still have to pay for college. Most also don't carry a full classload. I don't want to degrade players or anything but when I watch a football game and they show majors, it's not even close to average, plus most will take pretty light loads in terms of credits because they can spread it out. Don't forget, they all choose to do this as well.

I laud the schedule athletes put themselves through but don't give me the "They're getting a raw deal" argument. An out of state player will have a scholarship valued around, what, 35K? I haven't checked lately on tuition and housing. Then you through books on that plus your meals and it's not hard to get to 40K. Then you have a stipend. I have no idea what those are in terms of value but Jay Paterno mentioned 10K. It's likely less at ISU. There are very few jobs in and around Ames that a college kid could make that money at. Very few. Athletes are just fine.

[SCNCY]

While I will say that I do not agree with playing players because they are getting there tuition, housing, food, and academic help all for free. I will say that this is something that could help ISU more than a school like Texas. As long as every school can pay the same amount, ISU will benefit from this due to the cost of living. The cost of living in Iowa is lower than a lot of the United States. Therefore players who come to ISU will get to pocket more than someone who goes to school at Michigan, OSU, Florida.

[CyDude16]

You really dont know what it is like to be be a Division 1 athlete. First of all, all athletes do not qualify for Pell Grants. As far as working, I know first hand of players with summer jobs working 30-40 hrs/wk and alot of times into the evening To 10-11 o'clock and weekends. Now do you get up at five in the morning to lift weights and work out to be followed by a rushed breakfast and then to class,followed by afternoon volunteer work and study time, and time spent during the week for passing league and running. They are required to be on campus. They have one week after classes end in spring to come home and another at the end of July before starting preseason camp. As far as working in the fall they cant. They carry a full caseload and + for many with the same early morning lift schedule and meetings/pracitice/treatment etc. starting at approx. 1:30PM and extending into the evening followed by supper and then study with some sleep and start all over. Dont forget the time for travel and missed work that they also have to make up. THIS IS A FULL TIME JOB PLUS SCHOOL. THEY DESERVE WHAT THEY WORK SO HARD FOR. Not saying that they should be paid but money is tight if no grants. Now does is sound like you could handle this job with its physical demands on top of all this. Dont criticize unless you have been in their shoes!!

So which athlete is this?

Let me know when the worlds smallest violin stops playing.

[cycoOJfan89]

Pay them... it's pretty easy to see that multiple interests make millions from their play! Maybe not at ISU but elsewhere. Pay them, tuition is not enough for their exploits

[kilroy]

Just putting my change in the bucket.

Dumb, dont pay them. They already get paid, full ride scholarship, thats like 20k a year, plus the education if they stay. Start a minor league system if you must but no pay for college.

Whats next, paying students to go to class?