Paying Players

cmmiller711 · Dec 31, 2018

you guys can grand stand all you want about the schools being bigger than the players blah blah blah. here's reality. If the NFL instituted a minor league system that was actually fair to the players, college football would die. period. the players are why we go to the games. if the players go elsewhere, the fans go elsewhere. the players deserve to make money for the service they provide to the schools. And i saw all those threads about how expensive the games are and how tidepride is squeezing out the average fan. That money aint going to the kids who earned it and that is WRONG.

if you need evidence to support this claim-

highest avg attendance in the NFL- 91k

highest avg attendance in college - 111k (+22%)

highest avg attendance in MLB 47k

highest avg attendance college baseball- 10k (-78%)

cmmiller711 · Dec 31, 2018

RedWave said:
No, I get you there. I am referring to the statement that they should give more to the interns and grad teachers. Unless they are referring to football GA's, I disagree. People are not going to turn out in droves to watch some grad student teach calculus to undergrads.

the rub there is that the grad student doesnt have any real world dollar value yet either. and the grad student can tutor younger students for ACTUAL MONEY on the side. something athletes CAN NOT DO.

Ldlane · Dec 31, 2018

RedWave said:
No, I get you there. I am referring to the statement that they should give more to the interns and grad teachers. Unless they are referring to football GA's, I disagree. People are not going to turn out in droves to watch some grad student teach calculus to undergrads.

They do go to class and get a service provided. So, the University is gaining in some way. Not counting all of the laundry they do for Professors.

Wakecrash · Dec 31, 2018

Paying players sounds great, until i hear a specific plan, as soon as I hear a specific plan, it tends to fall apart. It would definitely change college football, I don't think for the better.

B1GTide · Dec 31, 2018

Valley View said:
So does the band get paid too? How about golf, soccer, volleyball, ect.? This is a giant can of worms that does not need to be opened. No one is forcing anyone to do anything. Don't like it, then don't play.

Sure, pay them based on their value. How would you compare the value of any of those folks to that of the football players at Alabama?

RedWave · Dec 31, 2018

Valley View said:
I had a step daughter who played in the band at the barn. I would estimate she spent as much or more time practising as the football team. She got $10 a day only when the band traveled, nothing else. Nothing but the fun of being there. She would have taken money but she knew going in what the deal was going to be. She loved every minute of it.

So does the band get paid too? How about golf, soccer, volleyball, ect.? This is a giant can of worms that does not need to be opened. No one is forcing anyone to do anything. Don't like it, then don't play.

You completely ignore the market aspect. People do not show up to see/hear the band. Yes, we enjoy hearing them play their catchy little tunes here and there, but many folks don't even care to watch the halftime shows. I, personally, watch them because I am a former band geek myself and I enjoy it, but I know the reality is most people don't. And how members are there in a university marching band currently? 300+? How many are going pro? Why? Let's not try to compare things so different from each other to make our point.

Do you even understand why NFL players (or other professionals in high paying sports) get paid as much as they do? Because they can do it at a level that so few could even dream of doing it, and people will pay big money to see it happen. Unless the same can be said of other categories in this argument, then they should be left out of the discussion entirely.

This education many of you speak of, while I agree with you, simply does not hold the same value to these players as it does to you and me. Go find a tribesman in the most remote village in some third world country a deed to a diamond mine on another continent, and see what he will give you in return. Give him a goat, and you are likely to see better results.

B1GTide · Dec 31, 2018

cmmiller711 said:
you guys can grand stand all you want about the schools being bigger than the players blah blah blah. here's reality. If the NFL instituted a minor league system that was actually fair to the players, college football would die. period. the players are why we go to the games. if the players go elsewhere, the fans go elsewhere. the players deserve to make money for the service they provide to the schools. And i saw all those threads about how expensive the games are and how tidepride is squeezing out the average fan. That money aint going to the kids who earned it and that is WRONG.

I have no problem with paying the players. And I have no problem with splitting out a minor league from college football. College football would survive. There are hundreds of college football teams outside of the P5. They survive just fine without elite talent or coaches - the best coaches would also go to this system.

College football would not have teams that play at a really high level any more, but it would still be a blast.

Ldlane · Dec 31, 2018

RedWave said:
You completely ignore the market aspect. People do not show up to see/hear the band. Yes, we enjoy hearing them play their catchy little tunes here and there, but many folks don't even care to watch the halftime shows. I, personally, watch them because I am a former band geek myself and I enjoy it, but I know the reality is most people don't. And how members are there in a university marching band currently? 300+? How many are going pro? Why? Let's not try to compare things so different from each other to make our point.

Do you even understand why NFL players (or other professionals in high paying sports) get paid as much as they do? Because they can do it at a level that so few could even dream of doing it, and people will pay big money to see it happen. Unless the same can be said of other categories in this argument, then they should be left out of the discussion entirely.

This education many of you speak of, while I agree with you, simply does not hold the same value to these players as it does to you and me. Go find a tribesman in the most remote village in some third world country a deed to a diamond mine on another continent, and see what he will give you in return. Give him a goat, and you are likely to see better results.

So should ALL players on the team get an equal cut? Or just the ones that star? For me, they can wait like everyone else until they get out of school to get a paycheck!

cmmiller711 · Dec 31, 2018

B1GTide said:
I have no problem with paying the players. And I have no problem with splitting out a minor league from college football. College football would survive. There are hundreds of college football teams outside of the P5. They survive just fine without elite talent or coaches - the best coaches would also go to this system.

College football would not have teams that play at a really high level any more, but it would still be a blast.

tv deals would shrink massively. 100k seat stadiums would be mostly empty. it would still exist but it would be nothing like what we know it

Ldlane · Dec 31, 2018

Eventually, certain conferences and schools will re-align and break from the NCAA and there will basically be a college "semi-pro" league. Only the schools that can afford the players are going to be a part of that league.

cmmiller711 · Dec 31, 2018

Valley View said:
I had a step daughter who played in the band at the barn. I would estimate she spent as much or more time practising as the football team. She got $10 a day only when the band traveled, nothing else. Nothing but the fun of being there. She would have taken money but she knew going in what the deal was going to be. She loved every minute of it.

So does the band get paid too? How about golf, soccer, volleyball, ect.? This is a giant can of worms that does not need to be opened. No one is forcing anyone to do anything. Don't like it, then don't play.

you can be a professional musician without playing in band. you can be a professional musician while playing in band. how do i know that? i am one, and i made my living playing guitar while i attended alabama. it is an entirely apples to oranges comparison.

theres no governing body forcing kids who wanna be the next john coltrane to go learn how to march. you have made my argument for me.

B1GTide · Dec 31, 2018

cmmiller711 said:
tv deals would shrink massively. 100k seat stadiums would be mostly empty. it would still exist but it would be nothing like what we know it

I am okay with that. Heck, I still love high school football.

RedWave · Dec 31, 2018

Ldlane said:
So should ALL players on the team get an equal cut? Or just the ones that star? For me, they can wait like everyone else until they get out of school to get a paycheck!

And you are more than welcome to go on with your limited understanding of economics.

B1GTide · Dec 31, 2018

RedWave said:
And you are more than welcome to go on with your limited understanding of economics.

FWIW, Ldlane is one of the brighter folks on the board. He also happens to be an educator, so he has a very different point of view.

bamaga · Dec 31, 2018

B1GTide said:
There are a lot of things that might kill college football, but sharing revenue with the players is not on the list, IMO.

It depends on the way it’s handled. It’s a huge Pandora’s box if not handled properly. I can think of several ways it can be abused. From recruiting players, uneven distribution of funds between programs, recruiting grad transfers with incentives. Whenever money is involved, creative accounting comes in to play. And that’s not even getting into making it easier for unscrupulous boosters to hide payment to players. There is no doubt players should share some of the wealth, we will have to see how it all shakes out. I do think they players should get a percentage of bowl , CFB playoff , and likeness/autograph/memorabilia money. Fans aren’t wearing 13 and 2 Jerseys because they are their favorite numbers.

It’s not just football players, all university athletes will demand a cut, some mid level schools maybe cannot afford to pay all athletes.

NationalTitles18 · Dec 31, 2018

Let's start the experiment by paying players a portion of revenue and bringing back NCAA Football (the video game). If the world doesn't tip off its axis because a young man made a few coins off his talent then college football may just survive.

I won't get too far into the socioeconomic reasons that amateurism became so noble in sports, but that model it outdated and there is no reason to keep pushing the money underground or to make people like Josh Jacobs unable to help their families when they possess a talent that is in high demand and very valuable. Athletes are already treated differently than the average student, no matter what is said.

Took me a while to have a change of heart on this issue, but I'm fully in the camp of pay a stipend evenly to every player and allow them to make extra based on their market value. I don't know why I ever thought I wanted to keep money out of someone else's hands.

B1GTide · Dec 31, 2018

Can I add that players should absolutely be allowed to make money on their own names. Sell autographs, sign sneaker contracts, do car commercials, etc - whatever the market allows.

BamaGene · Dec 31, 2018

Two words: Title IX...

BamaGene · Dec 31, 2018

But I totally agree with 'fixing' the transfer rules. Any youngster who signs a LOI only to see his coach leave in the next week or so is simply not being treated fairly. I understand that kids should commit to the school not the coach but at the larger? better? schools that is not a realistic take.

NationalTitles18 · Dec 31, 2018

BamaGene said:
Two words: Title IX...

Small stipend to them as well and they can also earn money based on their market value.

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