Should athletic scholarships be 1-year or 4-year?

steej71

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Feb 17, 2011
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There are still some Division 1 schools that offer 4-year athletic scholarships, but UA doesn't guarantee one. Do you have some arguments for or against?
 

rgw

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Academic scholarships are 1-year with an option for 3 renewals if academic and legal standards are met. I see no reason why athletic scholarships should be different and I have no problem with players losing scholarships if they don't meet athletic standards.
 

B1GTide

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Apr 13, 2012
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1 year renewable or 4 year - the choice of the school/player. But the players should be able to leave without penalty if a 1 year renewable scholly is in place.
 

rgw

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I agree. I think the transfer rules should be more equitable to the player. I think players ought to be able to transfer between conferences with impunity. I have a tepid outlook on allowing free transfer within a conference. It really raises the "insider threat" problem where players can leak privy information to yearly rivals. Schools can't own a strictly academic student; why should they be able to own an athlete on scholarship?
 

Al A Bama

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Academic scholarships are 1-year with an option for 3 renewals if academic and legal standards are met. I see no reason why athletic scholarships should be different and I have no problem with players losing scholarships if they don't meet athletic standards.
I totally agree with what you said. Those athletes need to meet academic as well as athletic standards or move on. You need to be totally committed when you COMMIT or don't let the door hit you on the way out! You have all the support that you need to be successful academically and athletically. When you commit, you commit to be a success not a failure.
 

TommyMac

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One year. It's a two way street, if the athlete doesn't uphold his end of the bargain, why should the school have uphold their's?

Injuries are the exception of course.
 

Al A Bama

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If you give an athlete a 4 year scholarship and they are not growing and succeeding in your program, what are you going to do with them? Are you going to let them in the locker room, etc. and help destroy your program? No! Be good or be gone!
 

rgw

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Yes, obviously they have to meet the academic standards but it is principally an athletic scholarship so I think maintaining an athletic standard is a legitimate consideration in renewal. Saban has allowed plenty of guys who came in with expectations and never really made it work on the field stick around through the completion of their academic program. Those guys obviously put in all the work but they just weren't good enough. They were team players, they showed up and worked whenever they were expected to do so. I have no problem with Saban ending the scholarships for guys who miss practices, skip workouts, and/or contribute minimal effort in general.

I'm not calling for cutting the guys at the bottom of the depth chart, simply culling the ones who don't seem to care that they aren't contributing to the team.
 

Dallas4Bama

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Sep 27, 2006
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I agree. I think the transfer rules should be more equitable to the player. I think players ought to be able to transfer between conferences with impunity.


Schools can't own a strictly academic student; why should they be able to own an athlete on scholarship?
Even if it wasn't allowed in conference it would basically create free agency. Before you say there are rules in place to keep coaches from contacting the players, what keeps the players from contacting the coaches? If there's no contact allowed on either side then how does a player leave and be able to know there is a scholarship waiting for him somewhere else?
 
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TrampLineman

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1 year.

I also agree with most here in that transfer rules should be done away with as well, or maybe giving a kid one free transfer without penalty and any after that is a year like it is now.
 

RTR91

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Nov 23, 2007
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There are still some Division 1 schools that offer 4-year athletic scholarships, but UA doesn't guarantee one. Do you have some arguments for or against?
Alabama may not "guarantee one," but Bama does offer them starting with this signing class.

Link
 

KrAzY3

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I did think Alabama was offering 4 year scholarships, even though Saban has reservations.

I don't think they should, but it becomes a tactic at this point. If others are offering them in the conference, Alabama has to.

Anyone that played high school sports knows that you are not insured a spot each season. You go out and earn it, and if you don't earn it, you don't get a spot. The scholarship should not be guaranteed, unless the player gives equal guarantees in return.

For instance, if Alabama has to promise to keep a player on scholarship for four years, then they player should have to promise not to transfer, or leave for the draft without permission. Once the player signs that, he should create an obligation above and beyond making the grades and showing up for football practice. It shouldn't be ok, the school is committed to you for four years, but you don't have to be committed to them for four years.

The problem is they limit a lot of ways the school can interact with these players. The four year scholarship is an attempt to undermine the SEC, to say look you should be stuck with these kids for four years no matter what. It's not done for the good of the athlete, and it's also a bit illogical. On an academic scholarship, if you don't meet certain standards you lose it. You have academic requirements, not a guarantee for four years. What football performance requirements does a four year scholarship have?
 

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