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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Big Ten-der

                The Big Ten Conference is now considering a new suggestion with regard to compensating student athletes. The proposal is that each player will receive a payment of between $2,000 - $5,000 per year for living expenses. The reasoning behind such an idea is that collegiate athletes, specifically football players, bring in so much revenue for their schools that they deserve some sort of compensation. And it’s true. The programs at schools like Texas, Florida, and USC bring in enormous profits for the university through TV contracts, ticket sales, and merchandise. As of now, collegiate athletes are strictly banned from benefitting financially from their sports. A star quarterback in a big football town may have an incredible season which results in millions of dollars for his school, but he won’t receive a dime, not from the fans who bought tickets just to see him, and not from the jerseys sold with his name on it. Since all the money is generated by the athletes who actually play the game, it seems that they should be entitled to a fair share.  Nevermind the fact that every player at a Big Ten school, like Michigan, already receives free tuition for four years (the equivalent of about $200,000), tons of free equipment and gear, free travel and lodging around the country, and the opportunity to prove their talents to NFL scouts on a national stage.
                Let’s move past whether this is right or not, because the more interesting discussion is what would happen if this proposal is approved?  The most obvious result is that the Big Ten would have a big advantage in recruiting.  Ohio State coach Jim Tressel can tell his best players that they will have plenty of money to pay for their tattoos.  Penn State coach Joe Paterno can explain to new recruits how, back in World War I, $5,000 would have bought a house. This payment could cause some of that ESS EEE SEE speed to migrate up to the Big Ten.  But money is just one of many perks that a university can give to an athlete.  So what can the other conferences offer recruits to stay competitive?

1.  College Credits
            
                Football programs can get more players to commit to their schools by simply granting them credit in courses related to sports.  Human Anatomy?  Check.  Anyone who can run the 40 yard dash in less than 4.4 seconds must have a deep understanding of the human body.  Public Speaking?  Check.  If you can face a crowd of reporters in a press conference immediately after fumbling in overtime, then you’ve already learned more than the other students who presented their dioramas to the class.  Physics?  Check.  You’ve already demonstrated your knowledge of projectiles when you launched your body into a helpless receiver running a crossing pattern.  (That reminds me, you still might want to take that Human Anatomy class) 

2.  Make-A-Wish Day
            
               Most of us know the Make-A-Wish Foundation for doing incredibly generous deeds for children with terminal diseases.  They bring kids to meet their heroes or visit the place they’ve always dreamed of going.  Why not do the same for the promising high school prospects?  Maybe Auburn coach Gene Chizik will take the top rated high school linebacker to meet Jay-Z or set him up on a trip to see the set of Avatar 2. 

3.  $2,000-5,000 a year for entertainment purposes

              Why confine the money you're giving to athletes to "living expenses"? Perhaps the MWC could shell out the same amount of money to football players but allocate it towards something that athletes would be more appreciative of. This way, Colorado State players could go out to the bars 5 nights a week, San Diego State players could pay for hookers after failing to get lucky, and BYU's athletes could splurge on lemonade for their bible study.