Survey results
Pitt football players share their thoughts a variety of subjects.
Any number of questions face college football in particular and college athletics as a whole in 2019, some more searing and unavoidable than others.
There are criticisms about the NCAA’s very structure and whether athletes can remain unpaid in a system teeming with money. Safety concerns in a sport as dangerous as football abound. Attendance, even at some of college football’s most dominant powers, is lagging.
While many of these issues rest with administrators, the players on the field have an uncommon perspective of the world in which they inhabit. So, if given the chance, what would they change about college football?
At Pitt’s recent annual football media day, the Post- Gazette posed that question, among others, to 16 of the Panthers players. Survey participants were granted anonymity in order to receive more honest feedback.
Their solutions varied, though nearly half the responses were connected by a common theme — athlete compensation and rights. Whether it was wanting more stipend money than they currently receive — “I’m not asking for a lot more, just a little more so after you pay your bills and your car, you have some for your social life,” one player said — or something more closely resembling a salary, a number of players expressed dissatisfaction with the present set- up, which provides a full scholarship ( for non- walk- ons) and a stipend.
“We should be getting paid way more,” one player said. “This is basically a fulltime job. We do get stipends, but we should be getting paid, at least minimum wage. Even if not that, with the revenue that players raise, you should be able to sign an autograph and make money from that. Schools make money off of us, so we should be allowed to make money off our own name.”
“We work hard, put in all the hours,” another said. “I think we should be compensated for our work. I feel like that’s the most fair thing to do. We bring in money to the university. I feel like we should get paid.”
Other qualms went beyond the idea of a school directly paying players, as some advocated for the opportunity to earn outside income, whether it’s from endorsements, a cut of their jersey sales or the ability to make money from signing autographs.
“Normal students are able to use their image,” one player said. “We have a platform to use, and I just feel like sometimes it’s limited because we’re not allowed to use our own image for things if we want to do things outside of football.”
Not all concerns about athlete welfare were financial, though. One player said he would push for more time away from school that can be spent back home, something that’s especially onerous for players with families who live far away from Western Pennsylvania.
“I feel like this is a fulltime job with class and football, which I love. I love the whole intensity of it all,” he said. “But I only get to see my family once or twice a year.”
“It’s tough, but it’s the sacrifice we all make for the experience,” he added.
Aside from those conjoined topics was another, far more specific answer from three players — the return of EA Sports’ NCAA Football video game series, which hasn’t come out with a new installment since 2013.
Its run ended when the NCAA decided not to renew its licensing deal with EA, citing, among other things “the current business climate and costs of litigation,” a reference to lawsuits from former athletes such as Ed O’Bannon over name and likeness. There has been a strong push for the game to return, but in order for that to happen, player likenesses will have to be stripped or the NCAA will have to rewrite its rules to allow players to be paid for appearing in the game.
“If we had to sign any papers or anything, just let us play that game,” one player said. “I remembered growing up and playing that game. It was one of the most fun games I’ve ever played.”
“It has been a dream since I was a little kid to see yourself on a game, especially when you’re in college,” another said.
Other, non- repeated responses to the question were changing pass- interference calls so they no longer disproportionately favor the offensive player, adding more conference networks like the soon- to- be- launched ACC Network so that more games are available for players’ parents to view and, because it’s college football, reformatting the sport’s playoff system.
In addition to that query, players were asked six other questions. Results from those questions are below, along with additional commentary from the players.
If you could play for one other ACC coach, other than Pat Narduzzi, who would you choose?
• Dabo Swinney ( Clemson): 81.8 percent
• Manny Diaz ( Miami): 9.1 percent
• David Cutcliffe ( Duke): 9.1 percent
On Swinney: “It’s a winning program. He seems to be a players’ coach and he puts guys in the league.”
“He’s a spiritual guy. I grew up in the church. That would be cool for me.”
What has been your favorite place you’ve visited for a road game in your time at Pitt?
• Miami: 25 percent
• Notre Dame: 18.8 percent • Clemson: 12.5 percent • Penn State: 12.5 percent • New York ( Pinstripe Bowl): 6.3 percent
• El Paso ( Sun Bowl): 6.3 percent
• UCF: 6.3 percent • Charlotte ( ACC championship): 6.3 percent
• Wake Forest: 6.3 percent On Miami: “The food, the weather, the culture — it was all dope.”
On Notre Dame: “I like just the whole history and culture of that place. Driving through their campus and seeing Touchdown Jesus, personally, I didn’t know any of that beforehand. But getting it explained to me while we were there and seeing it firsthand, it was unreal.”
On Penn State: “You could just feel that rivalry.”
What has been your least favorite place you’ve visited for a road game in your time at Pitt?
• Virginia: 27.3 percent • Duke: 18.2 percent • Akron: 18.2 percent
• UCF: 9.1 percent
• Notre Dame: 9.1 percent • North Carolina: 9.1 percent
• Oklahoma State: 9.1 percent
On Virginia: “The field was covered in mud. We were sliding all over the place. The Virginia crowd was talking crazy. They thought they were going to win. Too bad they didn’t.” ( Editor’s note: the complaints seemed to mostly be about the rainy weather that day, not Virginia or Charlottesville itself.)
On Notre Dame: “The stadium was amazing. But where it’s at? In Indiana.”
During a road game, which school had the nicest ( or least mean and obnoxious) fans?
• Notre Dame: 58.3 percent • UCF: 16.7 percent
• Wake Forest: 8.3 percent • Duke: 8.3 percent
• Penn State: 8.3 percent On Notre Dame: “They didn’t talk any trash or nothing. They were all like ‘ Good game. We hope everybody stays healthy.’ Notre Dame had the nicest fans.”
“Probably because they were all like 60 [ years old] and up.”
On UCF: “I turned around and one guy gave me a thumbs up. I gave him a thumbs up later. He was behind me all game. I made a good play and when I came back, he gave me a thumbs up. It was funny to have a positive interaction with another fan. It left a good memory in my head.”
During a road game, which school had the worst ( or meanest and most obnoxious) fans?
• UCF: 47.1 percent
• Penn State: 17.6 percent • Miami: 11.8 percent • Virginia Tech: 11.8 percent
• Oklahoma State: 11.8 percent
On UCF: “They were cursing us out and stuff when we were walking through the tunnel.”
“It’s like they’re a big high school.”
On Penn State: “I had a bad experience with them.”
Which of your teammates would you least want to get in a fight with?
• No one: 42.9 percent • Amir Watts: 14.3 percent • Jimmy Morrissey: 14.3 percent
• Jaylen Twyman: 7.1 percent
• Rashad Weaver: 7.1 percent
• Patrick Jones II: 7.1 percent
• Alex Kessman: 7.1 percent
On Watts: “He’s big as hell and he used to box.”
On Twyman and Weaver: “You’d have to bring your lunch bucket with you. It would be a long day.”
On Kessman. “Kess took boxing classes and probably UFC stuff. He probably knows what he’s doing.”