Should athletes share March Madness bounty?
A class action lawsuit was filed Monday against the NCAA and five college conferences to get rid of financial aid limits for players, letting them be paid. FAIR COMPENSATION? College athletes who generate the revenue (primarily Football Bowl Subdivisions and and Division I basketball) will one day be sharing it. It seems logical to me that the courts would side with the student-athletes, although logic doesn’t always win in court.
NCAA and big conferences must know this is a distinct possibility, and the only thing they can do is stall in court.
Every year that goes by, between now and the inevitable settlement, represents more money that they do not not have to “share” with the people who earned it.
Gray Grantham
It amazes me when people say things like “those who earned it.” Do you think studentathletes would get a chance to play or win without the programs, coaching and support they are given? These athletes get a lot for what they do.
Mike Clark
I am not against players being paid, but I am against the argument that the players get nothing out of this. A four-year degree from Vanderbilt, with room and board, is worth about $250,000. Not so much from Ole Miss, but still worth a fair amount of change that many of these students could not afford. And then, there is the lifetime value of a college education. I’m not grieving if a kid is too stupid to study and graduate.
Byron Wooten
WHEN TO GO PRO
Players are allowed to join the NBA draft one year after their high school graduation, which means some play one year of college then leave.
You can always go back and get your degree. You could make more with your signing bonus than years of salaries earned with a bachelor’s degree. Tennis and baseball players turn pro right out of high school.
James Jones
I’m on the fence. It’s unfair to keep a player from the professional leagues if he could be drafted, but people are wrong to state that college ball doesn’t prepare you for the pros.
Jim Faherty
As a Kentucky fan, I want a three-year rule. It’s easy to determine in that amount of time whether a player is even worthy of competing in the NBA; that solves one problem. In addition, college athletes could get a degree in three years.
While athletes might be eager for a paycheck, this way they would be prepared with an education in case they are hurt.
Chris Jones