The Problems with a Cost of Attendance Stipend

RTR91

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Appears the COA stipend will be the hot offseason topic this year. So far, every SEC coach has discussed it in Destin.

Here's this from 247 from last week.

The Chronicle of Higher Education published a list of the estimated cost of attendance scholarships that will be offered by each Power 5 school for the 2015-16 school year.

The figures are based on the group's governmental formula, so schools are not making up the figures themselves and they can't just elect to pay student-athletes any amount they want to give them. The formula has caused some discrepancies in the amounts SEC schools are allowed to offer, and many believe the stipend figures could become a big factor in recruiting.

For example, the University of Tennessee is estimated to be able to pay athletes $5,666 - while Kentucky can only offer $2,284. The additional $3,000 a year might not seem like a lot to some, but it could be an important factor in the decisions of some families.
Then, there's this al.com article from today.

Could cost-of-attendance affect recruiting? One SEC AD thinks so

When the Southeastern Conference convenes this week in Destin, Fla., it will debate the latest hot-button issue: Cost-of-attendance figures.

The average fan could care less about cost-of-attendance, but it's produced plenty of anxiety in athletic directors across the country. Many of those same athletic directors fought to get the measure approved in January, but now reality has set in and some have realized it's not an even playing field.

There are significant disparities in the money offered by each school for full cost-of-attendance -- Auburn, for instance, provides nearly $3,000 more than Stanford -- leading some to believe it will be used as a recruiting advantage.

"I think we all agree in the conference it's an issue," Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity told AL.com. "It does make a difference to some individuals; to some young men and some young women. I would hope the majority of the conference would love to see some consistency in those numbers."
 

KrAzY3

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I fully expect the SEC to step in and provide some sort of a maximum for cost of attendance. Once a maximum has been set, we can expect the teams to try to get as close to that as possible, making any differences negligible. I'd also expect to see some consistency from the other major conferences as well, providing a cap helps to keep this from getting out of control and I'd expect to see the major colleges paying out similar, but not identical amounts.

The ones we'd expect to "cheat" at this issue are the ones inflating their numbers. No surprise there... the surprise would be if they are allowed to get away with it. I'm also not buying the idea that these numbers could be reached without some sort of monkeying with the figures, we all know Auburn isn't twice as expensive as Tuscaloosa.
 

B1GTide

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They knew this would happen. Even if the NCAA provided a very clear formula to calculate this, it would remain open to manipulation. IMO, every school should "inflate" their cost of attendance until more guidance is offered/enforced.
 

Gr8hope

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Yes, consistency or inflate away until the NCAA squeals or grows a back bone.
 

bama579

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Awbarn provides 3K more cost of attendance than Stanford?! What the . . . .

A state supported school in Auburn, Alabama offers more for c of a than a private, world-class, academic university, in Palo Alto, California? Geez Maries. Astounding. I would say "unbelievable" except that IS Alabama Polytech.

If those guys were not so pathetic, they would be hilarious. Hilarious in a bass-ackward sort of way.

Tennessee? Well, at least obKnoxville is not the toilet that Auburn is. So they have that going for them. :rolleye2:
 
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dirkg

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Quickest, easiest solution is to take the average of what all SEC schools is and allow that across the board


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Rama Jama

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Quickest, easiest solution is to take the average of what all SEC schools is and allow that across the board


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Lets face it, there is very little actual difference in the cost at any of the SEC schools. THE conference needs to set a maximum and let that number be what every school provides period. It can not be done on a school by school basis and be anything close to equitable since schools like AU and Tennessee will inflate it to try to gain an advantage.
 

JDCrimson

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Its debatable whether the NCAA is good at managing compliance. But I don't think there is any question that they are incompetent to sniff out the various accounting tricks that will be used to circumvent this rule.
 

RammerJammer14

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Lets face it, there is very little actual difference in the cost at any of the SEC schools. THE conference needs to set a maximum and let that number be what every school provides period. It can not be done on a school by school basis and be anything close to equitable since schools like AU and Tennessee will inflate it to try to gain an advantage.
Yeah, when I heard they were going to allow stipends, I had no idea they were going to do it on a school-by-school basis. That is probably the dumbest idea ever.

The only way a stipend will work is if there is a flat rate that everyone must adhere to across the board. Otherwise you might as well eliminate scholarship limits because you are promoting an uneven playing field.


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Rama Jama

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If we continue in the current direction where more and more is given to the athletes, we might as well make college football a minor league for the NFL and just pay them period. The losers in all this are the schools themselves. Alabama gave a hefty chunk back to the academic side of the University last year and with the new cost of attendance, much of that money may have to go away. People forget we are not just talking about football players, it will be every athlete who gets a scholarship. I'm guessing Alabama has something over 250 athletes so multiply that by 5000 grand a semester. Imagine the effect that has on less well run programs like Auburn where they lost money last year or even worse, a UAB.
 

Crimson1967

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Since food, housing, tuition and books are free, what goes into cost of attendance? I can see paying mileage to and from home, but that is going to vary. If a player is dirt poor, I don't mind him getting some money, but not every player grew up in the ghetto.


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RT3413

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Since food, housing, tuition and books are free, what goes into cost of attendance? I can see paying mileage to and from home, but that is going to vary. If a player is dirt poor, I don't mind him getting some money, but not every player grew up in the ghetto.


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First for those who are dirt poor there are grants that they can be eligible for to give some relief. Some of the mileage (especially for bowl games) is covered already as well.

The "Cost of Attendance" is meant to cover things that aren't allowed to be covered under an athletic scholarship... meals other than training tables. School supplies. Incidental expenses, etc.

Remember that collegiate athletes are not permitted to get jobs outside of school to earn any spending money either... so this will also give them enough money to see a movie or grab a burger out with friends from time to time.
 

CB4

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First a comment then a question.

First, there is no way that the conferences or the NCAA can allow a $2500-$3000 difference between schools with the cost of attendance stipend. You can't tell me the numbers aren't fudged. The cost of attendance at Northwestern (in Chicago) is $2000-$3000 less than it is Knoxville or Lee County? And there is a $3000 difference between schools within the conference?

This may have been addressed somewhere, but if so, I missed it. Will the COA stipend be provided to all athletes or only those in revenue producing sports? I don't see how you could restrict it. It would seem if you provide it to scholarship players in football and basketball, you would have to provide it to minor sports as well.

Then there is also Title IX to be considered. It would seem that under Title IX that would have to make sure that the institution is providing equal stipends between men's and women's programs. Is that the case?


This could be a fine "kettle of fish" to open up.
 

RTR91

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Remember that collegiate athletes are not permitted to get jobs outside of school to earn any spending money either... so this will also give them enough money to see a movie or grab a burger out with friends from time to time.
Since when are student athletes not permitted to get jobs?

AFAIK, the player can get a job if he/she wants. The employer has to be willing to have a flexible work schedule because of school and team events, though.

First a comment then a question.

First, there is no way that the conferences or the NCAA can allow a $2500-$3000 difference between schools with the cost of attendance stipend. You can't tell me the numbers aren't fudged. The cost of attendance at Northwestern (in Chicago) is $2000-$3000 less than it is Knoxville or Lee County? And there is a $3000 difference between schools within the conference?

This may have been addressed somewhere, but if so, I missed it. Will the COA stipend be provided to all athletes or only those in revenue producing sports? I don't see how you could restrict it. It would seem if you provide it to scholarship players in football and basketball, you would have to provide it to minor sports as well.

Then there is also Title IX to be considered. It would seem that under Title IX that would have to make sure that the institution is providing equal stipends between men's and women's programs. Is that the case?


This could be a fine "kettle of fish" to open up.
Yes, Title IX would require every athlete on scholarship to get the COA stipend.
 

GP for Bama

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The difference in cost of attendance stipend will make a difference at some point. (Its interesting that the schools with the high COA say it makes no difference and the schools with the low COA say it does.)
It will make a big difference in recruiting for sports that divide scholarships such as baseball, swimming and track...among others. Auburn will have about $3000 more per scholarship to divide around on baseball players than Bama.
 

uaintn

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Yep, it'll matter. And anyone who thought that API wouldn't magically have an incredibly high COA hasn't been paying attention for the last 25 years or so. The idea that it costs significantly more to live in Auburn (or Starkville, for that matter) than Tuscaloosa is a joke to anyone who has visited both places. The idea that it costs more to live in Auburn/Starkville than Nashville is more like pathetic. That's just in the conference. The Barn came out higher than Boston and Los Angeles. Really, guys? Wire Road just behind Manhattan and San Francisco now?
 

Rama Jama

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First a comment then a question.

First, there is no way that the conferences or the NCAA can allow a $2500-$3000 difference between schools with the cost of attendance stipend. You can't tell me the numbers aren't fudged. The cost of attendance at Northwestern (in Chicago) is $2000-$3000 less than it is Knoxville or Lee County? And there is a $3000 difference between schools within the conference?

This may have been addressed somewhere, but if so, I missed it. Will the COA stipend be provided to all athletes or only those in revenue producing sports? I don't see how you could restrict it. It would seem if you provide it to scholarship players in football and basketball, you would have to provide it to minor sports as well.

Then there is also Title IX to be considered. It would seem that under Title IX that would have to make sure that the institution is providing equal stipends between men's and women's programs. Is that the case?


This could be a fine "kettle of fish" to open up.
Apparently based on the comments I've heard from Sankey in Destin, the conference has no intention of making it equitable. I heard Barrett Sallee say there is actually no way to fudge the numbers, but I believe he is a barner. It obvious to anyone who isn't part of the cult that the numbers are out and out fabrications. Has anyone here seen the cost of an apartment in T-town lately. A decent 2 bedroom apartment is well over 1200 a month. Last time I checked, a trailer in boogville costs significantly less. College football is doing its best to lose its fans if it can't be kept on a level playing field. When you have a school who have never lived by the rules, the COA rule is nothing more than an another opportunity to try to bend the rules. Unfortunately, they have apparently succeeded.
 

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