Grothe Thinks Players Deserve A Cut Of Sales

[Carolina_Bull]

you show me a system that is fair in how the players are paid.... then maybe this discussion will matter...

Here's a Jumping off point, I thought of in 45 seconds or so:

A system where every school contributes to a fund at the NCAA that mails or direct deposits a uniform amount, between $750 - $1500/mo to each FBS and FCS scholarship athlete's designated bank account (yes, the player can designate Mom's account if he/she wants to).  If someone is paid too much or too little, or paid a monthly stipend or two after they have quit school, the NCAA only has itself to blame.  If a school or its boosters pay the player more, its clearly identified as cheating.

If a players likeness or image sells more than a certain percentage of a university's overall memorabilia a certain percentage of those sales must be placed in trust (or simply settled up with the athlete when he or she graduates).  If the player quits school, he or she gets bupkis with regard to sales.

A player will have no say in how his image or likeness is used for marketing purposes.

[JerseyBull06]

1: No fair system could be devised as has already been mentioned

2: Show me the numbers where the SCHOOLS make "tons" of money off of these kids. In donations maybe, but not in actual sales. I am basing this on research I did using NCAA numbers about 5 years ago but very few colleges have self suffiecient football programs, let alone make enough to fund both football and other sports. I add this because I was shocked by a lot of the numbers I saw.

3: Isn't this a time when most players that are "NFL" caliber and likely to get drafted will take out "insurance" policies to guarantee that should a career ending injury occur they still see some sort of "comporable" money? not sure but I'm certain I've heard of this

4: Free Education...I won't argue that balancing school with a demanding extra curricular doesn't leave much time for a job; when I was in ROTC where I would spend an average of 15 - 20 hrs per week on top of working on an engineering degree I received a stipend from the gov't when I was on scholarship. At the same time this was a part of a scholarship I'd earned and was the same for every person in the country. I wouldn't be against a SET stipend for ALL players on Scholarship regulated by the NCAA. I'm no dillussional and realize these kids do put the time equivalent to a job into the sports they play; then again so do those in less "glamorous" sports that don't make money so why shouldn't ALL student athletes be given something like this over and above a scholarship.

5: Maybe a "free ride" to school isn't "much" compensation at a place like USF where tuition for an in-state student is extremely low compared to other schools. However there are a number of top teir universities public & especially private where you're looking at over $25,000 per year in tuition alone. Room and board, books, etc can easily top it off to 35 - 40K a year. Times 4 or 5 years and you're looking at 100K - 150K or more in free education these players get. Is it the most money ever, no...but that's a 'decent' compensation for something most of these guys did for free for 4 years in high school.

6: College football is still pretty "pure" and not tainted by money...let's try to keep it that way as best we can. Most players even in football won't go on to play professionally and they know that, they play the game because they love it.

just my 2 cents whether you like it or not....and yes I donate what little money I can to USF Athletics, USF Alumni Association, and spend in on USF season tickets and still dont' think players should be individually compensated by each university

PS: if that's the case where is MY compensation for my likeness being used on USF billboards, advertisements, and website...I was used before Grothe was out of HS and still have seen nothing from it - just sayin 

[Greg Auman]

Unfortunately, even a 4 percent model sets up a system in which a booster can pay an amateur, and could even promise a specific payment before a recruit ever plays in a game..

Let's say USF wants Matt Grothe's little brother to come to USF. USF's coaches agree to market his jersey, and a wealthy booster buys 10,000 of them from an official USF retailer for $50 each, then resells them online for the same price. The star recruit suddenly has a $20,000 check, and all the booster had to do was invest $500,000 in retail he can resell.

It's a slippery slope once you make it OK for amateur athletes to be paid for their work as amateurs. Next there's a commission on billboards, for mentions in radio ads, etc ....

[TRUTH D. Antagonist]

the argument that the University uses players' likenesses on billboards and for marketing and they thus deserve a cut of revenues is bunk...

those players on billboards benefit from the exposure in that it draws added attention to their game from media and recruiters, and brings in revenues to the school which are then used to upgrade facilities that in turn provide an advantage to the players' development.

i'm sorry, but i just don't see how a full ride scholarship including education, room and board is somehow "not enough" for these players.

[BleedGreenAndGold]

Since when are these players being forced to play college sports?  Instead of spending time practicing, training, and playing they can get a job and pay their way through school.  Life is tough.  Get a helmet.

[Carolina_Bull]

Unfortunately, even a 4 percent model sets up a system in which a booster can pay an amateur, and could even promise a specific payment before a recruit ever plays in a game..

Let's say USF wants Matt Grothe's little brother to come to USF. USF's coaches agree to market his jersey, and a wealthy booster buys 10,000 of them from an official USF retailer for $50 each, then resells them online for the same price. The star recruit suddenly has a $20,000 check, and all the booster had to do was invest $500,000 in retail he can resell.

It's a slippery slope once you make it OK for amateur athletes to be paid for their work as amateurs. Next there's a commission on billboards, for mentions in radio ads, etc ....

Yeah, that's what the NCAA and its member schools say (probably wringing their hands and shaking their heads at the same time).  After they point out the obvious "slippery slope", they do the only honorable thing you can do with the money at that point . . . . keep it.

Greg, maybe it is a moot point because he had a good plan, but who is on the hook to pay Matt Grothe's cell phone bill this month?  Guess that slippery slope (more hand wringing and head shaking) means Matt would have the task of settling a runaway cellular bill.

[crambone]

If players can get paid this way, the bigger schools will pull even further away from the smaller ones.  I will basically come down to whichever schools have the most wealthy boosters will always win games.

If that's the case, USF would be sunk.

[Greg Auman]

Matt's dad mentiioned that, thankfully, his cell plan called for unlimited texts, etc., otherwise it could have been an expensive week ...

[namuh-bull]

The jersey doesn't have a name, and you can't buy all the numbers (at least I would guess that they only have several for sale, but I could be wrong there).  Personally, I wouldn't want to wear a jersey with the player's name on it unless it was also my name.  I see no reason to give a player a cut.

Also, for some reason people think the players get a free ride to college.  That is far from the truth.  It is in exchange for their services as an athlete, no different than if you were working and were paid in cash, then gave that cash to the school so you could go there.  People don't say you get a free paycheck.

 

[TRUTH D. Antagonist]

Also, for some reason people think the players get a free ride to college.  That is far from the truth.  It is in exchange for their services as an athlete, no different than if you were working and were paid in cash, then gave that cash to the school so you could go there.  People don't say you get a free paycheck.

that's the point, they are already being compensated for their athletic contributions to the school.