College football players are paid (indirectly), and that's the way it should be
- Thread starter step.eng69
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Difference?
The "scrip" days were much less greedy and corrupt than modern era "Big Time" college athletics.
The primary purpose of going to college is to get an education, unless you're a football player, in which case the primary purpose is to play football. You provide the labor, you're compensated by receiving tuition, room, board, and sundry other emoluments. If that's not a classic labor contract, I don't know what is. The problem with that contract is that the terms are fixed by a cabal of employers, acting as the NCAA, and the people providing the labor have to influence their level of compensation. That's an outright violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act and every judge knows it, but they're afraid to say it because they don't want to contemplate the ramifications.
If they are paid in cash, of course they pay taxes. But the Tax Code doesn't define who is an employee, just what sort of income is taxable. PhD candidates often receive free tuition and a cash stipend. The value of the tuition scholarship is not taxable, the cash stipend is. So what are they, students or employees?
Their primary purpose is not to play football, that's what they have to do to keep their scholarship. That's why they have to go to class, make grades, etc. and football players don't even put the amount of time in that other athletes do. It's probably less than almost any other sport. So if it was judged by the hour, football players make more than most workers.
Let's not delve into the intricacies of the tax code. Tuition scholarships received by grad students are not taxable, cash stipends are. So what are they, students or employees?
It's pretty obvious that discussing this with you is pointless. I'd venture to guess that you find the notion of college football players having some degree of control over their compensation so objectionable because you feel that they'll be getting something they don't deserve or that it might threaten to burst that comfortable little bubble you inhabit between September and January. Just know this: change is coming, change is inevitable, and its name is Jeff Kessler.
No, I have a problem with it because it will be impossible to police and it will get completely out of hand. I also have a problem with it because as the father of a walk on athlete who was absolutely thrilled when he made the team and appreciated all that he got, it irritates me when people act like these players are indentured servants who get nothing out of it. I saw first hand all that these kids get and it's way more than people realize. I'm just not sure how much people think they should get paid....tuition and room and board gets them between $20,000 and $30,000 per year...pretty good part time job pay...how long would the normal student have to work at McDonalds to get that? And that's not even counting the stipend they get, all the clothes and gear, and the free tutoring. Then throw in the cost of travel for the trips they get to go on (and let's not forget bowl games for football players). What is that $30,000 to $40,000 per year? For four or five hours a day of work and a few months a year (for football players and way longer for other athletes). So how is that not getting paid? If someone worked out how much they get per hour, people would be shocked.
What is impossible to police? Kid signs a contract for $250K, gets paid $250K. Another kid signs a contract for $50K, gets paid $50K. Only thing to police is squad size and that's easy.
Free tutoring? Who said anything about them being students. If they want to be, they can accept a full ride as currently structured as all or part of their compensation package. If not, they can pay as they go just like any other student. Think of it as work-study if that makes you happier.
But it's pretty obvious where you're coming from and it only bolsters my case.
You want the school to pay a kid $250K a year to play college football? Holy sh!t...just trash college sports altogether and have a minor league system (where they won't get $250K a year either, see minor league baseball). We're talking about two different things....I'm talking about college athletics and you're talking about pro sports. If they get to the point where high school kids are signing six and seven figure deals while in high school, then the whole system is way worse than it is now. Every kid that goes to college regardless of their major sacrifices. That's part of the value, you sacrifice to show commitment. It won't kill an athlete to sacrifice a few years to get where they want to go. And something like 96% of the football players don't go to the NFL...so why would we be paying them?
Why not, they pay $6million to a coach? See any professors making that kind of dough. Yeah, it;s college.
Screw college sports. The people who run it have perverted it to such a degree that the only thing recognizable as "college" are the school colors. And when Jeff Kessler gets done with their asses, they won't recognize it either.
Always love it when people tell others what's best for them. Don't start imposing "sacrifice" on other people. That's a decision for the individual making it and his parents.
Exactly and all of those individuals have chosen to make that sacrifice. You're the one telling people it's not good enough and the system needs to change. I'm not imposing sacrifice on anyone, they are choosing to do it along with their parents and they're happy about it. I have yet to see a kid on signing day cry or complain about their awful plight in life.
Yeah, they're so happy about it, they leave as soon as the pros will let them and they sit out their bowl games.
I think they are already paid based on everything they get. I do not think they should get a pay check.
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