Pay for Play Proposal

[Gato78]

So I am having lunch today with a guy that knows sports and education. We start discussing the whole pay for play thing and how that could be corrupting and really hurt a school like MU. So as we were talking, I came up with this concept (all rights reserved):

Players in revenue making sports get paid but only for the course credits they receive and they receive a "bonus" for completion of year 2 on graduation track and for graduating. This has a bunch of positives, the first being that it is truly student-athlete based. It means that schools who fake it like Kentucky, can keep faking it but their guys have to be one and dones or they will lose out. Gets players to finish their degrees especially when many (especially football) blow off their second semester senior year to get ready for the draft. It would encourage guys like Vander who are marginal draft choices to stay in school to get the graduation bonus. It would "pay" players based on their academic achievement but it doesn't abuse the kids like now where there is so much money involved but the athletes don't see the rewards (though I think all of America undervalues the education the players receive). It basically encourages kids to stay in school and it evens the playing field. If schools can outright pay, the potential for abuse is huge. There would still be potential for abuse with BS classes etc but North Carolina is having a little trouble right now with the concept of BS classes.

To me, the main thing with this idea is that it puts athletes closer to the student side of the student-athlete equation while fairly distributing some of the TV money. College sports would stop trending toward being nothing more than minor leagues for professional sports. Now someone may have written this before but I don't recall ever seeing this concept discussed. Thoughts?

All rights reserved.

[TheSultan]

The good thing about this proposal too is that you basically have it mirroring the way APR is calculated. It becomes more lucrative the longer they stay in school, stay on track to graduate, and eventually walk the stage. It is almost like a retention-bonus system employed by a lot of companies.

Of course there would also have to be a system in place that prevents a scholarship from being pulled say after year three from a marginal player. For instance, let's say MU gets on the track of a real good player this spring. To create space, they say "see ya" to Juan Anderson not only to free up the scholarship, but to free them from the bonus payment that would be due to him if he graduated.

[Gato78]

Breach of contract. Entire amount immediately due. Discourages Boning or Creaning or whatever.

[Goose85]

I believe the problem usually comes in with the determination on what constitutes a revenue making sport. Does the sport just need to generate revenue, generate a certain level of revenue, or does it actually have to make money.

Are all students participating in the sport included (think Aberderis from UW who was a walk-on for 2 years and schollie for 2).

The idea of a graduation bonus for athletes always comes back to who gets to participate (equal men / women, schollie / walk-on, all sports or just football and hoops).

I also agree with you on the value of a college scholarship.

[CaribouJim]

Gato, if I understand your correctly there could still be "one and dones"?

Regardless, I hope that they institute the rule change that I think is being considered by the NBA that you have to play 2 years. With very, very few exceptions these kids aren't ready for the NBA after only one year - ultimately better for the NBA, the kids and college b-ball.

Do like your proposal though. This system right now is most certainly a mess.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

I also think they need to re-lengthen the window to allow players that declare to return. If a kid is going to go pro, they should have time to receive professional advice. Let them know after the camps, even after the combine. Why they shortened that is beyond me. It's not in the best interest of the kids or the programs.

[DCwarrior]

I'd like to see the NBA follow MLB. You can choose to go pro straight out of high school (either make it or languish in the D-league) or choose to go to college. If you pick college, then you have to stay at least 3 years years before you become eligible to be drafted or even to play in the D-league.

I think the graduation bonus would only work if the payment comes from the NCAA instead of the individual schools. While schools like Florida, USC and even MU can afford it, others like Coppin St. and Grambling St. could not and that would be another recruiting tool to pound over the heads of the smaller, non-BCS schools.

[IWB]

Could be easily funded too, if the NCAA could just get 1-2% on the football TV contracts.