http://deadspin.com/the-college-football...1697832009

Quote:If you want to judge college football’s first season that decided a national champion via a four-team playoff based on how much revenue the new system produced for the schools and conferences that participated in it, then the whole thing was an astronomical success.

According to a report released by the NCAA, the combined payout from this year’s 39 bowl games surpassed $500 million, an increase of $200 million from the money that was generated by the 2013-2014 bowl season. Most of this money came from the new TV deals that put a premium price on the rights to broadcast the national championship game and the bowl games that hosted the semi-final games of the four-team playoff.

Half a billion dollars! That’s so much [bleep]ing money! Too bad the idea of paying college football players just isn’t economically feasible.

"Half a billion dollars! That’s so much [bleep]ing money! Too bad the idea of paying college football players just isn’t economically feasible."

Quoted for truth.

(04-14-2015 10:27 PM)Marge Schott Wrote:  "Half a billion dollars! That’s so much [bleep]ing money! Too bad the idea of paying college football players just isn’t economically feasible."

Quoted for truth.

This fraud of college football and men's basketball using "student-athletes" should end. College football and men's basketball should officially be recognized as a semi-pro minor leagues of the NFL and NBA and the players should be paid.

Nobody is making a profit with all of this money being thrown around? Hell, I don't believe it. Where is all of this money going and why?

This is just bowl money for one year. One. This is not including TV money, apparel contracts, ticket sales, jersey sales, etc, etc, etc........

Come on, already. This facade of "amateurism" should end. It only exists so a bunch of old guys can cheer on the schools they root for and pretend it is not a charade.

The other sports may fit the bill of good we are sold (or sell ourselves) but not the two big money makers.

(04-14-2015 10:32 PM)TerryD Wrote:  This fraud of college football and men's basketball using "student-athletes" should end. College football and men's basketball should officially be recognized as a semi-pro minor leagues of the NFL and NBA and the players should be paid.

Nobody is making a profit with all of this money being thrown around? Hell, I don't believe it. Where is all of this money going and why?

This is just bowl money for one year. One. This is not including TV money, apparel contracts, ticket sales, jersey sales, etc, etc, etc........

Come on, already. This facade of "amateurism" should end. It only exists so a bunch of old guys can cheer on the schools they root for and pretend it is not a charade.

The other sports may fit the bill of good we are sold (or sell ourselves) but not the two big money makers.

Every university has employees who don't directly serve an academic mission. Janitors, building maintenance, equipment technicians, secretaries, etc.

If university athletes are going to be employees of the school ... why do they even need to be students?

(04-15-2015 01:39 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(04-14-2015 10:32 PM)TerryD Wrote:  This fraud of college football and men's basketball using "student-athletes" should end. College football and men's basketball should officially be recognized as a semi-pro minor leagues of the NFL and NBA and the players should be paid.

...Come on, already. This facade of "amateurism" should end. It only exists so a bunch of old guys can cheer on the schools they root for and pretend it is not a charade.

The other sports may fit the bill of good we are sold (or sell ourselves) but not the two big money makers.

Every university has employees who don't directly serve an academic mission. Janitors, building maintenance, equipment technicians, secretaries, etc.

If university athletes are going to be employees of the school ... why do they even need to be students?

^^^ THIS ^^^

(04-15-2015 02:26 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(04-15-2015 01:39 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(04-14-2015 10:32 PM)TerryD Wrote:  This fraud of college football and men's basketball using "student-athletes" should end. College football and men's basketball should officially be recognized as a semi-pro minor leagues of the NFL and NBA and the players should be paid.

...Come on, already. This facade of "amateurism" should end. It only exists so a bunch of old guys can cheer on the schools they root for and pretend it is not a charade.

The other sports may fit the bill of good we are sold (or sell ourselves) but not the two big money makers.

Every university has employees who don't directly serve an academic mission. Janitors, building maintenance, equipment technicians, secretaries, etc.

If university athletes are going to be employees of the school ... why do they even need to be students?

^^^ THIS ^^^

If you go this route, you might as well do away with eligibility limits altogether. The football factories would recruit the best talent, and they'd still go the NFL after a couple of years. The top schools that aren't football factories would have players not quite good enough for the NFL that play together for 10 years or so in college. Since they no longer need to be students, there should be no limit on the number of years they can play.

(04-15-2015 01:39 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(04-14-2015 10:32 PM)TerryD Wrote:  This fraud of college football and men's basketball using "student-athletes" should end. College football and men's basketball should officially be recognized as a semi-pro minor leagues of the NFL and NBA and the players should be paid.

Nobody is making a profit with all of this money being thrown around? Hell, I don't believe it. Where is all of this money going and why?

This is just bowl money for one year. One. This is not including TV money, apparel contracts, ticket sales, jersey sales, etc, etc, etc........

Come on, already. This facade of "amateurism" should end. It only exists so a bunch of old guys can cheer on the schools they root for and pretend it is not a charade.

The other sports may fit the bill of good we are sold (or sell ourselves) but not the two big money makers.

Every university has employees who don't directly serve an academic mission. Janitors, building maintenance, equipment technicians, secretaries, etc.

If university athletes are going to be employees of the school ... why do they even need to be students?

They don't. Where did I say they need to be?

(04-15-2015 05:09 PM)TerryD Wrote:  They don't. Where did I say they need to be?

You would prefer if football players on university teams were not students?

Do you think players on high school teams should be students?

(04-15-2015 05:19 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(04-15-2015 05:09 PM)TerryD Wrote:  They don't. Where did I say they need to be?

You would prefer if football players on university teams were not students?

Do you think players on high school teams should be students?

Do you prefer the big lie that is the "student-athlete" in the major college sports?

Lets just make it official and pay the players as the minor leaguers they are.

Why do grown men insist on believing in the charade of "amateur" college football and basketball?

Your invocation of high school athletics is a straw man argument.

(04-15-2015 05:25 PM)TerryD Wrote:  Do you prefer the big lie that is the "student-athlete" in the major college sports?

I'm not saying it's perfect. But I sure as heck want the players on the team to be students!

What about you? Would it bother you if Notre Dame's team was comprised of professionals in their 30's who'd never been to college?

(04-15-2015 05:29 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(04-15-2015 05:25 PM)TerryD Wrote:  Do you prefer the big lie that is the "student-athlete" in the major college sports?

I'm not saying it's perfect. But I sure as heck want the players on the team to be students!

What about you? Would it bother you if Notre Dame's team was comprised of professionals in their 30's who'd never been to college?

Another straw man. Lets make them all 60 years old and above (plus illiterate) on your next pass, shall we?

Either make every school recruit real students, with strict academic requirements and graduation requirements, with the coaches making relatively little money and so on...or.....

.....admit major college sports are minor leagues and pay the players accordingly.

Why the pretend game with big money boosters, coaches like Urban Meyer making north of $5 million per year, bowls paying out a half a billion dollars per year and TV networks paying hundreds of millions per year....

....while the "student-athlete" does not get paid for his efforts that lie at the heart of all this cash?


What do I think is best? A two-tiered system like college baseball and minor league baseball. Let the athletes that want to be paid not have to pretend to be college students and they can go the true minor league route.

That way, we can end the charade we currently operate under.

(04-15-2015 05:29 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  I'm not saying it's perfect. But I sure as heck want the players on the team to be students!

Then you don't want what exists now.

There were three one-and-dones on Duke's title team this year. A team that won because of three stars who only had to stay eligible for one college semester. Students? Yeah, right.

Then again... if you attend a play or a concert on campus, do you care whether the actors or musicians are all students at the university? If they are students, do you care whether they are academically eligible and on track to graduate on time?

(04-15-2015 06:15 PM)Wedge Wrote:  Then you don't want what exists now.

There were three one-and-dones on Duke's title team this year. A team that won because of three stars who only had to stay eligible for one college semester. Students? Yeah, right.

Then again... if you attend a play or a concert on campus, do you care whether the actors or musicians are all students at the university? If they are students, do you care whether they are academically eligible and on track to graduate on time?

They're enrolled in the school at the time of the performance/game.

It's a yes or no question.

(04-15-2015 05:34 PM)TerryD Wrote:  Another straw man. Lets make them all 60 years old and above (plus illiterate) on your next pass, shall we?

Either make every school recruit real students, with strict academic requirements and graduation requirements, with the coaches making relatively little money and so on...or.....

.....admit major college sports are minor leagues and pay the players accordingly.

Why the pretend game with big money boosters, coaches like Urban Meyer making north of $5 million per year, bowls paying out a half a billion dollars per year and TV networks paying hundreds of millions per year....

....while the "student-athlete" does not get paid for his efforts that lie at the heart of all this cash?


What do I think is best? A two-tiered system like college baseball and minor league baseball. Let the athletes that want to be paid not have to pretend to be college students and they can go the true minor league route.

That way, we can end the charade we currently operate under.

So you do think that players on the team should have to be enrolled in the school.


If that's true, then how will they be able to both be enrolled in the school and be employed by the school for non-academic purposes?

I don't think that's going to work.

(04-16-2015 07:59 AM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(04-15-2015 05:34 PM)TerryD Wrote:  Another straw man. Lets make them all 60 years old and above (plus illiterate) on your next pass, shall we?

Either make every school recruit real students, with strict academic requirements and graduation requirements, with the coaches making relatively little money and so on...or.....

.....admit major college sports are minor leagues and pay the players accordingly.

Why the pretend game with big money boosters, coaches like Urban Meyer making north of $5 million per year, bowls paying out a half a billion dollars per year and TV networks paying hundreds of millions per year....

....while the "student-athlete" does not get paid for his efforts that lie at the heart of all this cash?


What do I think is best? A two-tiered system like college baseball and minor league baseball. Let the athletes that want to be paid not have to pretend to be college students and they can go the true minor league route.

That way, we can end the charade we currently operate under.

So you do think that players on the team should have to be enrolled in the school.


If that's true, then how will they be able to both be enrolled in the school and be employed by the school for non-academic purposes?

I don't think that's going to work.

The kids can choose to go to the school and play (get a stipend, scholarship, etc) or they can bypass college and go straight to the football and basketball minor leagues for a salary/signing bonus, etc...

Freedom of choice.

(04-16-2015 10:38 AM)TerryD Wrote:  The kids can choose to go to the school and play (get a stipend, scholarship, etc) or they can bypass college and go straight to the football and basketball minor leagues for a salary/signing bonus, etc...

Freedom of choice.

I would agree with that system, if there were such a minor league for football. But there's not.

The only option high school players have to is to go to college. In college, they can only receive scholarships. No salaries or stipends (same thing as a salary) will ever be approved for college players.

(04-16-2015 11:05 AM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(04-16-2015 10:38 AM)TerryD Wrote:  The kids can choose to go to the school and play (get a stipend, scholarship, etc) or they can bypass college and go straight to the football and basketball minor leagues for a salary/signing bonus, etc...

Freedom of choice.

I would agree with that system, if there were such a minor league for football. But there's not.

The only option high school players have to is to go to college. In college, they can only receive scholarships. No salaries or stipends (same thing as a salary) will ever be approved for college players.

I am saying "Create one" and drop the hypocrisy of the current "student-athlete" system.

Drop the network deals, lower the bowl payouts, reduce coaches salaries, etc...

Make the schools only recruit kids who score high on ACT/SAT and have taken sufficient core courses with good enough grades to predict their likely success in earning a college degree in a real curriculum.

Have these kids only play "college football" with scholarships and stipends only.

That would be real "college football" with real "student athletes".

Have the other kids go play minor league football. Pay them a salary and a signing bonus.

Give them the option to bypass college completely instead of letting them play without going to class, studying, passing tests, writing their own papers and actually having to graduate.

It works pretty well for college baseball and pro baseball. That would be the model to emulate.


Otherwise, the current system is really is a joke.

(04-16-2015 11:05 AM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(04-16-2015 10:38 AM)TerryD Wrote:  The kids can choose to go to the school and play (get a stipend, scholarship, etc) or they can bypass college and go straight to the football and basketball minor leagues for a salary/signing bonus, etc...

Freedom of choice.

I would agree with that system, if there were such a minor league for football. But there's not.

The only option high school players have to is to go to college. In college, they can only receive scholarships. No salaries or stipends (same thing as a salary) will ever be approved for college players.

Do you really believe that? Time will tell.

(04-16-2015 07:58 AM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(04-15-2015 06:15 PM)Wedge Wrote:  Then you don't want what exists now.

There were three one-and-dones on Duke's title team this year. A team that won because of three stars who only had to stay eligible for one college semester. Students? Yeah, right.

Then again... if you attend a play or a concert on campus, do you care whether the actors or musicians are all students at the university? If they are students, do you care whether they are academically eligible and on track to graduate on time?

They're enrolled in the school at the time of the performance/game.

It's a yes or no question.

You didn't answer the yes or no question.

But whatever your answer is, the vast majority of people would answer no. Most schools have performance groups that are open to non-students as well as students. No one stomps out of a university symphony orchestra concert in outrage when they find out two of the violin players graduated a few years ago and one of the clarinet players is a child prodigy who is still in 9th grade.

The only reason we "have to" restrict college football or basketball teams to enrolled students only is inertia, i.e., that it's been done that way in the past. Eligibility could just be restricted by age, instead, for example, to athletes under the age of 23, like men's soccer at the summer olympics. (The precise restriction is that men's soccer players have to be born in 1993 or later for the 2016 summer olympics.)

(04-16-2015 11:20 AM)Wedge Wrote:  You didn't answer the yes or no question.

But whatever your answer is, the vast majority of people would answer no. Most schools have performance groups that are open to non-students as well as students. No one stomps out of a university symphony orchestra concert in outrage when they find out two of the violin players graduated a few years ago and one of the clarinet players is a child prodigy who is still in 9th grade.

The only reason we "have to" restrict college football or basketball teams to enrolled students only is inertia, i.e., that it's been done that way in the past. Eligibility could just be restricted by age, instead, for example, to athletes under the age of 23, like men's soccer at the summer olympics. (The precise restriction is that men's soccer players have to be born in 1993 or later for the 2016 summer olympics.)

If non-students are going to be allowed to be athletic employees of the university or college, then having an age restriction of 18 to 22 would at least make it palatable.

And to answer your question, yes I do care that the young men I'm watching play for NDSU and Minnesota be enrolled in those respective institutions. I think most would agree with me, unlike in your performing arts analogies.