Small forward #31, the NCAA, and EA sports

[blkrptnt819]

Quote: Originally Posted by Peter_nincompoop55

I am well aware of this decision but the legal battle is far from over. They do not expect a final decision for years possibly. The decision to deny EA's motion to dismiss based on free speech in no way means O'Bannon has won anything here.

I guess time will tell.

[TIMB0B]

Quote: Originally Posted by blkrptnt819

The universities make way too much money off athletics to do that. Under the current system they can sale jerseys representing players who currently play, they can sale dinners with said athletes and let's not get into the tickets. But if the get rid of the sports scholarships they should be able to accept booster money. If that's the case it works in my eyes.

It already goes on anyway, so that would be fine by me. However, now you get the IRS involved. These players that accept money and gifts will have to pay taxes on them.

[pb897]

What about the ncaa espn abc and so on making exponentially more money off of these players on tv, its ridiculous

[TIMB0B]

The way I see it is why should an athlete get an academic scholarship for athletics? If they want an academic scholly, they can apply for one like every other student. Go ahead and pay the players for their "job" as an athlete at the university (because they can't work much outside of it) and they are a huge part of bringing in revenue, but they have to academically earn an academic scholarship. That might give these players more incentive to focus on their studies. The more academic scholarships he can get, the more spending money he'll have.

[Skilltastrophy]

why not just treat college athletics like a salaried position?

You eliminate athletic scholarships altogether and treat them as professionals...if they want to play on your sports team then their salary will go towards tuition, room and board like any other student.

explain the problem with this? Is it because people are hung up on the sham of amateurism?

[MrPolo7]

It's hilarious that we now consider a free college education, which from some schools is worth in the $Millions, absolutely nothing.

First of all, because of Title IX, if you pay say, Braxton Miller, $200K a year to play football at OSU you also are paying Jane Doe playing 5th string setter on the girls volleyball team.

Secondly, as was previously mentioned in this thread, any gifts or salaries paid to these students would be taxed by the IRS and I can't even imagine (based on the current atmosphere of college athletes) what kind of trouble that would lead to.

Third, these players are given free room and board, they get free textbooks, they get free tutors, they get free food (and a lot of it), they literally graduate (if they have taken advantage of the HUGE opportunity they are given) with absolutely no debt. I'm not saying this as someone with school debt, I graduated with zero debt. They are given a free college education which in this day and age means a hell of a lot more than the $500 a year they would end up with from EA using their "likeness" in a video game.

[MrPolo7]

Quote: Originally Posted by Skilltastrophy

why not just treat college athletics like a salaried position? You eliminate athletic scholarships altogether and treat them as professionals...if they want to play on your sports team then their salary will go towards tuition, room and board like any other student. explain the problem with this? Is it because people are hung up on the sham of amateurism?

Isn't that technically what they're doing? Change the word salary with scholarship or vice versa. Unless of course that salary is not going to cover all of the college expenses in which case they might have to take out a ridiculous 8% interest loan.

[LastExit]

Quote: Originally Posted by MrPolo7

It's hilarious that we now consider a free college education, which from some schools is worth in the $Millions, absolutely nothing. First of all, because of Title IX, if you pay say, Braxton Miller, $200K a year to play football at OSU you also are paying Jane Doe playing 5th string setter on the girls volleyball team. Secondly, as was previously mentioned in this thread, any gifts or salaries paid to these students would be taxed by the IRS and I can't even imagine (based on the current atmosphere of college athletes) what kind of trouble that would lead to. Third, these players are given free room and board, they get free textbooks, they get free tutors, they get free food (and a lot of it), they literally graduate (if they have taken advantage of the HUGE opportunity they are given) with absolutely no debt. I'm not saying this as someone with school debt, I graduated with zero debt. They are given a free college education which in this day and age means a hell of a lot more than the $500 a year they would end up with from EA using their "likeness" in a video game.

Well said.

At first I thought the best way to resolve the situation was to pay the athletes a stipend but the problem with that, aside from the ones you mentioned, is that it would have to be implemented across the board and there's a lot of schools that are not in a financial position to do that....and in order to do so they would have to raise tuition and that wouldn't be fair for those who pay their own way.