Should College Athletes be Paid?

[005]

Yep. Total cost of attendance for out of state at places like Austin, Berkeley, SC, Ann Arbor, etc. is in the $45,000-60,000/year for f's sake.

Exactly. The list goes on and on, too. Arguing with my friend over it, I used UNC-Chapel Hill as the example. And it would be quite nice to be paid that kind of money to play 40 or so games, while also receiving free food, travel, perks, etc.

 

[GatorBill]

And it shouldn't happen. I know this may put me in the minority on this board, but I'm glad Title IX is there.

I'll happily join you in that minority.

Im with you also.

 

[GatorBill]

And that's the problem --if you're going to try to apply the near-mythical free market economy to college sports, it will be a mell of a hess to determine fair market value for each player. Plus what if a player shines on one team and would suck on another? That means the other players on the first team deserve more money.

And on and on.

Most 18-year-old males' bodies are still growing. (Some women, too.) And they sure haven't learned and mastered everything that they need to know to play at a pro level.

They need some form of apprenticeship, whether college or underpaid semi-pro, to develop to a true pro level. The 5 stars would be grossly overpaid until people realized how much more time they needed to cook.

And imagine how corrupt the "market" would get --some players would get way more money than their skills deserved, just because they got hot on the recruiting circuit. And you don't think that there would be a lot of crap going on by their handlers, looking for a percentage?

I played 2 years of semipro ball, hoping for my shot at the USFL. lol:lol: really.

What I got was:
1) half the salary of some punk that was out of prison on work release so he could play ball
2) even though I played a full half of every game
3) because once you are ahead 63-0 even the scrubs play
d) I got a sideline seat to some INCREDIBLE football, played by guys who were not bright enough to stay in college.

and I got a full fledged tryout in the USFL, and an invite to come back for fall camp. . . . . which of course, would have been very cool if the league hadnt folded!!

eace2:

But it is just like the college game would be if we started paying. The studs would want stud fees, and the guy on the bench would be pissed cause he practices just as hard, or harder, and plays whenever he is called upon, but still makes much less than someone else.

 

[architecturevol]

They can wait 3-4 years and get paid in the NFL.