South Park blasts NCAA

Yes they should get some spending money. $30 a week would probably be enough. That can be debated. They need enough to grab a bite to eat, watch a movie, save a couple weeks to buy a video game, maybe get a tattoo ... things NORMAL college kids can buy, because they can have jobs and at least SOME income. These athletes don't have an income they can rely on. Yes some parents will help, but others can't.

College should be enjoyable, especially for these kids that live half a world away from home ... which they don't have the money to go visit.

Saying that people with college education will make 1 million more than someone without a college education doesn't increase the value of education they received. First considering there is a greater number of upper class with an education than with lower class with an educaton and a significant amount more lower class people than upper class and are they counting people with disabilities in those numbers? Doesn't like 5% of the population own 90% of the wealth??? There are other factors such as connections and resources that open more doors for the upper class.

Also a $20,000 dollar education from UNL is worth $20,000 It's worth is not how much more they make based off an education. All these players can still get an education they would just have to pay the $20,000.

College athletics bring in millions and some individual athletes can bring in 7 figure amounts. Is $20,000 plus food fair for bringing in a million?

The food is a bonus and coat a lot but the training table provides food for all athletes and students are allowed to eat there at a discount. When I was there I could eat at the training table for $5.

And yes they do get to travel but they work while they are there. I don't think this fall the players will be able to go fishing and enjoy the night life of Madison while they are there to play Wisconsin. I don't count business trips as a vacation and I would bet players don't count away games as a time to go site seeing and vacations

Also they didn't sign up for the scrutiny they receive in the media and by the fan base. They signed up to play football and get an education.

Even if they were allowed to have a part time job when would they work?? In the fall the players have to carry a full load of classes practice for 3 hours a day and on the weekends travel to away games and have meetings on Sunday. I don't even think there is a day off for a college athlete?? How many people after all that can add a 20 hour work week and still perform to university and fan expectations??????

I have no problem with people making money but when the people up top set wages and prices the guy on the bottom always gets the shaft!! Tommie Frazier and all the players on those national title teams brought UNL millions! A $20,000 education that doesn't guarantee a job, free lunches and a couple trips to manhattan Kansas is in the ball park of adequate compensation

huskersurfer said:

Saying that people with college education will make 1 million more than someone without a college education doesn't increase the value of education they received. First considering there is a greater number of upper class with an education than with lower class with an educaton and a significant amount more lower class people than upper class and are they counting people with disabilities in those numbers? Doesn't like 5% of the population own 90% of the wealth??? There are other factors such as connections and resources that open more doors for the upper class.

Also a $20,000 dollar education from UNL is worth $20,000 It's worth is not how much more they make based off an education. All these players can still get an education they would just have to pay the $20,000.

College athletics bring in millions and some individual athletes can bring in 7 figure amounts. Is $20,000 plus food fair for bringing in a million?

The food is a bonus and coat a lot but the training table provides food for all athletes and students are allowed to eat there at a discount. When I was there I could eat at the training table for $5.

And yes they do get to travel but they work while they are there. I don't think this fall the players will be able to go fishing and enjoy the night life of Madison while they are there to play Wisconsin. I don't count business trips as a vacation and I would bet players don't count away games as a time to go site seeing and vacations

Also they didn't sign up for the scrutiny they receive in the media and by the fan base. They signed up to play football and get an education.

Even if they were allowed to have a part time job when would they work?? In the fall the players have to carry a full load of classes practice for 3 hours a day and on the weekends travel to away games and have meetings on Sunday. I don't even think there is a day off for a college athlete?? How many people after all that can add a 20 hour work week and still perform to university and fan expectations??????

I have no problem with people making money but when the people up top set wages and prices the guy on the bottom always gets the shaft!! Tommie Frazier and all the players on those national title teams brought UNL millions! A $20,000 education that doesn't guarantee a job, free lunches and a couple trips to manhattan Kansas is in the ball park of adequate compensation

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It could be argued that only 5% of the population is actually productive... What do former players get in endorsement deals after their playing career is over?

Joe_5700 said:

huskersurfer said:

Saying that people with college education will make 1 million more than someone without a college education doesn't increase the value of education they received. First considering there is a greater number of upper class with an education than with lower class with an educaton and a significant amount more lower class people than upper class and are they counting people with disabilities in those numbers? Doesn't like 5% of the population own 90% of the wealth??? There are other factors such as connections and resources that open more doors for the upper class.

Also a $20,000 dollar education from UNL is worth $20,000 It's worth is not how much more they make based off an education. All these players can still get an education they would just have to pay the $20,000.

College athletics bring in millions and some individual athletes can bring in 7 figure amounts. Is $20,000 plus food fair for bringing in a million?

The food is a bonus and coat a lot but the training table provides food for all athletes and students are allowed to eat there at a discount. When I was there I could eat at the training table for $5.

And yes they do get to travel but they work while they are there. I don't think this fall the players will be able to go fishing and enjoy the night life of Madison while they are there to play Wisconsin. I don't count business trips as a vacation and I would bet players don't count away games as a time to go site seeing and vacations

Also they didn't sign up for the scrutiny they receive in the media and by the fan base. They signed up to play football and get an education.

Even if they were allowed to have a part time job when would they work?? In the fall the players have to carry a full load of classes practice for 3 hours a day and on the weekends travel to away games and have meetings on Sunday. I don't even think there is a day off for a college athlete?? How many people after all that can add a 20 hour work week and still perform to university and fan expectations??????

I have no problem with people making money but when the people up top set wages and prices the guy on the bottom always gets the shaft!! Tommie Frazier and all the players on those national title teams brought UNL millions! A $20,000 education that doesn't guarantee a job, free lunches and a couple trips to manhattan Kansas is in the ball park of adequate compensation

Click to expand...

It could be argued that only 5% of the population is actually productive... What do former players get in endorsement deals after their playing career is over?

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No, it can't.

And 99% of of former players get next to nothing in endorsement deals after their playing career is over. Even legends like Tommie Frazier just get to do a voiceover for a local car dealer radio commercial every now and then - that's about it.

huskersurfer said:

Saying that people with college education will make 1 million more than someone without a college education doesn't increase the value of education they received. First considering there is a greater number of upper class with an education than with lower class with an educaton and a significant amount more lower class people than upper class and are they counting people with disabilities in those numbers? Doesn't like 5% of the population own 90% of the wealth??? There are other factors such as connections and resources that open more doors for the upper class.

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This still doesn't take away from the fact that, statistically speaking, people with a college education make more than $1 million than people without. The U.S. Census Bureau stats only compare people with college degrees and those without. Whether they came from upper class or lower class is irrelevant when understanding this statistics. The fact of the matter is people with a college education generally make more than their counterparts without.

Also a $20,000 dollar education from UNL is worth $20,000 It's worth is not how much more they make based off an education. All these players can still get an education they would just have to pay the $20,000.

College athletics bring in millions and some individual athletes can bring in 7 figure amounts. Is $20,000 plus food fair for bringing in a million?

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This doesn't really make sense. A $20,000 education increases your life's worth by more than $1 million on average, therefore the degree earns you more on average. Therefore, the $20,000 can potentially be earned back with interest.

The food is a bonus and coat a lot but the training table provides food for all athletes and students are allowed to eat there at a discount. When I was there I could eat at the training table for $5.

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I'm confused by the point you're trying to make with this. The athletes eat for free here and students aren't allowed to eat there at dinner. Furthermore students can use their NCARD meal plans to eat there for lunch, and regular students pale in comparison to the amount of athletes that eat there. The athletic department pays for the training table, not the university.

And yes they do get to travel but they work while they are there. I don't think this fall the players will be able to go fishing and enjoy the night life of Madison while they are there to play Wisconsin. I don't count business trips as a vacation and I would bet players don't count away games as a time to go site seeing and vacations

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Airplane/bus travel, hotel and food is all paid for. Of course they're not going site seeing on a trip to Madison, they're going to play football. It doesn't matter if it's work or play, because they don't pay for anything on the trip

Also they didn't sign up for the scrutiny they receive in the media and by the fan base. They signed up to play football and get an education.

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Seriously? If you truly believe this, this is very naive and straight forward. When you sign an LOI you are signing up for more than just football, no matter what the wording on the letter says.

I have no problem with people making money but when the people up top set wages and prices the guy on the bottom always gets the shaft!! Tommie Frazier and all the players on those national title teams brought UNL millions! A $20,000 education that doesn't guarantee a job, free lunches and a couple trips to manhattan Kansas is in the ball park of adequate compensation

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We agree on the same point here, although we disagree clearly on what these athletes earn. No offense but I think you take what these athletes are given to a very extreme and naive level.

That said I had a lot of trouble understanding the points you were trying to make. Rewording them might help.

With the money you can't include the money made after graduation as part of the deal. They could still attend UNL even if they didn't play football they would just have to pay the $20,000. So any money made after graduation isn't A benefit of playing football since they could attend college anyway

I just don't think it's fair to say that athletes couldn't attend college if they weren't athletes

huskersurfer said:

With the money you can't include the money made after graduation as part of the deal. They could still attend UNL even if they didn't play football they would just have to pay the $20,000. So any money made after graduation isn't A benefit of playing football since they could attend college anyway

I just don't think it's fair to say that athletes couldn't attend college if they weren't athletes

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Who said that? I certainly didn't. Of course these guys could attend college if they weren't athletes. Although, in some cases, a player at a large university probably wouldn't have been accepted there if he weren't an athlete. It happens often.

"With the money..." what money are you talking about? Are you saying you can't include the more money college graduates earn on average in their life time as the benefit of receiving a college education? I don't think that's fair, to be honest. That's like saying hiring an employee that earns $1 million for your company is not a benefit of the $60,000 commission you paid him for his work. If you couldn't quantify the benefits of a college education than there'd be no point in getting one. Unfortunately for your argument, you can quantify the benefits of a college education.

I'm honestly confused as to what you're arguing. What do you mean by "So any money made after graduation isn't A benefit of playing football since they could attend college anyway?" No matter how they actually pay for college, if they complete their terms and get a degree they have the potential to earn back on their investment either way (whether they invest money like an average student or their body/time like an athlete). How does this have anything to do with paying athletes or increasing scholarships?

It has to with how much a college athlete gets paid while in school and how people value an education. When talking about a student athlete you can't value the "education" any more than what a normal student would have paid for that education because sports didn't open the door to a college education that door is already open. Sports just made the education

By adding all the benefits of a college education (money earned, experiences or whatever) to the value of an athletic scholarship are saying that an education wouldn't have been available for this person had they not played sports. Which fortunately isn't the case. Many football players would have been accepted to UNL or any other college without football and they still would have received all the benefits of a college education.

When an athlete goes to UNL on scholarship that lets say pays full tuition at $20,000 for 4 years the value of that scholarship is $20,000 Not $20,000 plus this infinite number that includes their success and experiences because a college education is still attainable by anyone. They would just have to lay the $20,000

I am not trying to quantify the value of having a college degree. I am saying that a degree is still attainable by all athletes it just isnt for free. So the value of a college degree can not be used in the value of an athletic scholarship

If I give you a $100 and you turn it into a $1000 through the market or Vegas can I tell people I gave you a $1000???

huskersurfer said:

It has to with how much a college athlete gets paid while in school and how people value an education. When talking about a student athlete you can't value the "education" any more than what a normal student would have paid for that education because sports didn't open the door to a college education that door is already open. Sports just made the education

By adding all the benefits of a college education (money earned, experiences or whatever) to the value of an athletic scholarship are saying that an education wouldn't have been available for this person had they not played sports. Which fortunately isn't the case. Many football players would have been accepted to UNL or any other college without football and they still would have received all the benefits of a college education.

When an athlete goes to UNL on scholarship that lets say pays full tuition at $20,000 for 4 years the value of that scholarship is $20,000 Not $20,000 plus this infinite number that includes their success and experiences because a college education is still attainable by anyone. They would just have to lay the $20,000

I am not trying to quantify the value of having a college degree. I am saying that a degree is still attainable by all athletes it just isnt for free. So the value of a college degree can not be used in the value of an athletic scholarship

If I give you a $100 and you turn it into a $1000 through the market or Vegas can I tell people I gave you a $1000???

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I understand the point you're trying to make, however there are thousands of youth right now that would disagree with this one statement.

When talking about a student athlete you can't value the "education" any more than what a normal student would have paid for that education because sports didn't open the door to a college education that door is already open.

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Sports DO open the doors for athletes/students in many situations. How many times do you see a article/video about an athlete that came from a rough neighborhood and now plays college football at a premier division one program? If that kid hadn't been a great football player, basketball player, etc., it was probably community college or nothing for him. He wouldn't have been able to afford a place like LSU, Alabama, Nebraska, Ohio State, etc., especially if he was from out of state.

Anyways, back to the point. I think athletes should get some type of grant or scholarship increase to help pay for their expenses, because they can't have jobs and they are responsible for the millions in revenue that universities earn. However, if these guys need money to pay off things like cars, apartments/houses, bills, etc., then they shouldn't be living off campus and incurring those kinds of expenses. I would argue that most of the athletes who sell memorabilia and break NCAA rules live off campus. Why should the university have to pay for their water bill, when the athlete could live in an on-campus apartment and get it paid for?

But the even more overwhelming issue is this - giving players a little extra money a year won't change the fact that they're still going to try and sell stuff or break other NCAA rules. Human beings have tendencies to take advantage of even the best situations, and these guys are no exception. Whether that means we need to tweak NCAA rules or not, I don't know.

I agree college athletics opens the door for some people I don't believe it's the majority. I believe most of the athletes would get into college somewhere some may be more inclined to choose a school that would be better academically.

I would argue that athletes that get into a better college because of athletics need the money more than others. There are a lot of athletes that use football to gt out of poor neighborhoods and while that is great they still have to leave their families behind.

Mothers and fathers can't travel to Nebraska to watch their kid play because they can't afford it. Younger brothers and sisters arent getting the education and attention needed because they live in a poor school district where funds keep getting cut. Friends are still struggling after highschool trying to find a job and stay out of gangs. Plus many athletes don't have money coming in from their family because there just isn't any.

How many guys out there are like Carl Crawford who didn't go to college because it was more important to give his family a better life?

Can you blame Reggie Bush's parents for seeing a better life outside the ghetto, and not wait for years for that opportunity when essential Reggie brought millions to USC?

I would be willing to bet there are more athletes that leave college without a degree because of their families financial situation than athletes that graduate from a school they normally wouldn't get into because of athletics.