Post by chipchip on May 7, 2013 11:23:58 GMT -6
PMarsh wrote a very good opinion column stating the time to increase player benefits is now.
With the formation of the SEC Network and who knows how much money changing hands for TV rights, it's time to increase the return for the guys who make it all possible. Not just coaches, TV execs and SEC officers and lawyers. PM makes the argument that not only should the scholarships be "full cost" of attendance, but that the players need the proposed stipend which has been consistently opposed by the have nots of college football. I also agree with him that the NCAA is being completely hypocritical when limiting the training table meals of all student athletes. To me, that is the #1 thing that can be fixed quickly and easily across the board. To PM's point, if Western Michigan wants to feed its players ham sandwiches and fruit cups instead of giving its athletes a broad range of nutritional options tailored to their needs, that's a WM choice and it will impact their ability to recruit players. He also rightly asserts universities should be allowed, if not required, to carry catastrophic health insurance for players.
My take is conferences like the SEC are in a position to force the likes of ESPN and CBS to subsidize all of these benefits for all student athletes at the university. You want the football rights? Well, pay the health insurance and nutrition expenses for the softball, tennis and track teams etc.
Another idea I have favored in lieu of actually paying players, is setting up a trust fund for each football player (or any athlete in a revenue generating sport) payable at the end of their eligibility with requirement of receiving a degree to receive the entire amount due. Something like $10-20K per year for each year they are in the program, with incremental increases for each year of eligibility completed. (i.e. redshirt year/true freshman get $10K, soph/rs fresh get $15K, jr/rs soph get $20K, sr/rs jr get $25K, rs sr get $30K.) That is not only incentive to stay in school longer and work toward a degree, but gets the non-NFL talent a good head start in life after football. Any player who declares early for the NFL draft simply forfeits their trust fund and it goes back into the general fund to be distributed to others. Players leaving for health reasons can continue to accrue the trust by completing a degree. Transfers can have a portion (say 30%) of their accrued benefits rolled over to their new institution. Drop outs get zip.
That's just my two cents on what needs to happen. The fact ESPN and SEC wouldn't talk financials at the press conference says everything we need to know without saying anything.
With the formation of the SEC Network and who knows how much money changing hands for TV rights, it's time to increase the return for the guys who make it all possible. Not just coaches, TV execs and SEC officers and lawyers. PM makes the argument that not only should the scholarships be "full cost" of attendance, but that the players need the proposed stipend which has been consistently opposed by the have nots of college football. I also agree with him that the NCAA is being completely hypocritical when limiting the training table meals of all student athletes. To me, that is the #1 thing that can be fixed quickly and easily across the board. To PM's point, if Western Michigan wants to feed its players ham sandwiches and fruit cups instead of giving its athletes a broad range of nutritional options tailored to their needs, that's a WM choice and it will impact their ability to recruit players. He also rightly asserts universities should be allowed, if not required, to carry catastrophic health insurance for players.
My take is conferences like the SEC are in a position to force the likes of ESPN and CBS to subsidize all of these benefits for all student athletes at the university. You want the football rights? Well, pay the health insurance and nutrition expenses for the softball, tennis and track teams etc.
Another idea I have favored in lieu of actually paying players, is setting up a trust fund for each football player (or any athlete in a revenue generating sport) payable at the end of their eligibility with requirement of receiving a degree to receive the entire amount due. Something like $10-20K per year for each year they are in the program, with incremental increases for each year of eligibility completed. (i.e. redshirt year/true freshman get $10K, soph/rs fresh get $15K, jr/rs soph get $20K, sr/rs jr get $25K, rs sr get $30K.) That is not only incentive to stay in school longer and work toward a degree, but gets the non-NFL talent a good head start in life after football. Any player who declares early for the NFL draft simply forfeits their trust fund and it goes back into the general fund to be distributed to others. Players leaving for health reasons can continue to accrue the trust by completing a degree. Transfers can have a portion (say 30%) of their accrued benefits rolled over to their new institution. Drop outs get zip.
That's just my two cents on what needs to happen. The fact ESPN and SEC wouldn't talk financials at the press conference says everything we need to know without saying anything.
