Is it time for college players to break the bank? (Sam)
Most fans agree that one of the biggest problems of the NCAA at the moment is players profiting from playing a college sport. Everyone likes the idea of paying athletes but the logistics of actually doing so is a little messy. The NCAA has commented several times on paying athletes and they have basically said the logistics are too complicated and it is unrealistic to ask for this. But is it? As more and more details come out about the current investigation over Basketball players receiving money the issue will become more prominent. One thing for sure is that the NCAA is no where close to making a revision and wants everyone to know that. The NCAA president Mark Emmert has commented that paying college athletes would affect the education purpose of college in the first place and he wants us all to remember that education comes first when it comes to student athletes. The model that makes the most sense is the amateurism model or the olympic model.
This model would allow athletes to make money off there own personal image. Using this model the NCAA would not have to worry about paying the backup holder. The NCAA would not really have a large workload at all. Opportunities for endorsements and commercial deals would eliminate the salary structure. Sports illustrated’s Andy Staples explains why this would work so well.
“Don’t allow schools to pay more — this takes care of the tax and Title IX issues — but allow anyone else to pay any athlete they choose. … This would provide a more just system with far fewer headaches, but the public and people who run college athletics have been beaten about the head for so long with the notion that any remuneration beyond a scholarship is immoral that they can’t abide common sense.”
At the Duke vs. North Carolina game a couple of weeks tickets were re-selling for thousands of dollars. The players received none of it and Zion had a scare that could cost him millions. During the game many professional athletes chimed in. Utah Jazz Donovan Mitchell tweeted out “Again let’s remember all the money that went into this game…. and these players get none of it…. and now Zion gets hurt… something has to change @NCAA.”
This statement is very real. With that much money on the line and nothing to gain from playing in the game alone it almost seems smarter to go play overseas and be able to make money. With the olympic model Zion or any other player for that matter could make money of their own sponsorships and commercial deals. This would also bring back those NCAA video games that we all love so much. If EA pays the college athletes they use in there game than that would end what got the video game shut down in the first place. There is a ton of money to be made off the game and it should put into development as soon as possible.
Of course there are a ton of hurdles to jump through while using the olympic model. Firstly the NCAA would have to keep a close watch on different brands and making sure they do not impede with the recruiting process. If you go to a school that is sponsored by Adidas you should still be able to be in a Nike ad. The NCAA would also have to figure how to cut the money if a player uses the team as part of the sponsorship. For example, a player appears in a state farm ad wearing an Alabama football shirt. But all of theses problems are only small bumps to form a much larger solution. I think this could also go along side with allowing players to enter the NBA draft straight out of high school. Only a small percentage, like one or two guys, would enter the NBA draft straight of high school because of the lack of data and analysis on a player from high school. The rest of the players should be forced to attend 2–3 years of college. Players would be content because they are still allowed to make money while competing in a collegiate sport. This would make College Basketball much more popular and eliminate the unpopular one and done rule.
The truth is that the NCAA operates an unfair system. Picture this…Zion Williamson signs a shoe deal with Nike. Forbes estimates this would be worth about 10.5 million a year. If Zion were to get injured and fall out of the lottery he would at least be compensated for the money he lost. More than half of collegiate athletes experience major injuries. Looking at this number would be very scary for an athlete prepping for the next level. It is important not to force players into a system where they are forced to play with no compensation. Nancy Skinner depicts what happened to Missy Franklin when she returned to collegiate sports.
She says “ It’s not just about top-tier men’s sports. Look what happened to Missy Franklin, one of the great female swimmers of all time. After winning four gold medals at the 2012 Olympic Games, Franklin chose to attend my alma mater, the University of California at Berkeley, rather than turn pro and sign sponsorship deals with Speedo or Tyr. But while at Cal, Franklin suffered back problems. She finally turned pro in 2015, giving up her NCAA eligibility, but she never regained her top form and is now retired after debilitating shoulder injuries — deprived of the full compensation she should have received.” This is just one example of a devastating injury that can ruin careers for an athlete.
In conclusion, the best solution for this controversial problem is the olympic model. Athletes can be compensated for there success without having to be put on salary or having to go through a long process. This is the best solution for a complicated problem.
