Whoa

[kierthos]

The NCAA has updated their 'standards' to ensure that student-athletes get a couple grand past full boat, and that incoming freshman must be *gasp* C+ students.

The $2000 above room, board, books and tuition is a pittance, compared to what the colleges earn off of their student-athletes, but the increased scholastic requirements are a step in the right direction.

Comments

[jdack]

That's interesting, considering just yesterday Colbert's guest was a guy who wrote a book about the billions colleges make off unpaid student players.

[kierthos]

Yup. You gotta figure, at most, a college is going to have maybe, across all NCAA sports, 200 or maybe 300 players? If that, I mean. They might only have 150. So 'worst case', $2000/year, times 300 = $600,000.

On average, each NCAA football team in the Big East conference, got $3.4 million from the BCS for the 2009-2010 bowl games.

And that's just their payday from the BCS. That doesn't include ticket sales, merchandise, and oh yes, TV deals. The Big East (to continue using the same conference for examples) makes $37.5 million a year from their current deal.

The Atlantic Coast Conference has a $155 million TV deal.

So yeah, the outlay to the student-athletes is a pittance.

[jdack]

I admit I don't feel too sorry for NCAA players, mostly dumb jocks getting a free college ride that most of them will waste because they think they'll go pro.

But, it's still fucked up how much the schools profit off it. Frankly I don't understand it. People who watch sports already baffle me, but college sports? Jesus.

[kierthos]

I feel sorry for them, to an extent that the colleges are basic using them, barely trying to provide them with an education, and reaping the rewards. I'm glad the NCAA is raising the scholastic requirements, but they basically amount to moving the goalposts (ha! sports metaphor) to a point that should mean 50% of college-athletes get degrees.

Wow. 50%.

Man, that's fucking harsh.

[jdack]

Most of which won't land them a job after, especially these days.

[kierthos]

Depends on the degree, but yeah.

[jdack]

Basically anything that's not law, medicine, or hard sciences seems to be worthless.

[mithras]

True. But they'll have had a free ride, so they won't be in the same amount of crushing debt.

[dreamshade]

It's also worth noting, though, that a few scandals that have come to light have indicated that some of these players already ARE getting some kind of under-the-table gifts and payments of different sorts. I'm imagining the decision to pay players a little is in part to make those kickbacks a little less enticing.