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Big Ten considers pay proposal - ctipton - 05-19-2011 07:28 PM
Big Ten considers pay proposal
By Brian Bennett
ESPN.com
CHICAGO -- Big Ten officials discussed a proposal that would pay athletes to help cover living expenses on top of their scholarships during the league's spring meetings this week.
The idea, which is backed by current NCAA president Mark Emmert and was favored by late NCAA president Myles Brand, is to bridge the gap between what athletic scholarships pay and other expenses like transportation and clothing. That difference has been estimated at between $2,000 to $5,000 per player.
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said league athletic directors and officials have seriously discussed whether they should use some of their growing TV revenue to pay athletes more.
"Forty years ago, you had a scholarship plus $15 a month laundry money," Delany said. "Today, you have the same scholarship, but not with the $15 laundry money.
"How do we get back more toward the collegiate model and a regulatory system that is based more on student-athlete welfare than it is on a level playing field, where everything is about a cost issue and whether or not everybody can afford to do everything everybody else can do?" Delany asked.
Delany stressed that the Big Ten was merely at the discussion stage, but he added the league is interested in talking to other conferences to see if they also favor such a plan. He acknowledged many schools and conferences across the country couldn't afford to cover those additional expenses, which could run about $300,000 a year just for football and men's basketball players alone.
But some Big Ten officials say if they can help out their athletes, then the concept of using the same rules for all teams should be abandoned. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said the stakes are simply higher for schools like his than for those in the MAC or Sun Belt.
"The reality is, if there's cost of attendance and you can't afford it, don't do it," Smith said. "The teams you're trying to beat can't do it either. Don't do it because Ohio State's doing it. That's one of the things schools at that level get trapped into thinking."
Brian Bennett covers college football for ESPN.com.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=6564134
RE: Big Ten considers pay proposal - ctipton - 05-19-2011 07:30 PM
Updated: May 19, 2011, 5:34 PM ET
C-USA boss: 'Something has to give'
By Joe Schad
ESPN
One day after Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said his conference members had discussed the concept of paying student-athletes more than the scholarship money awarded now, several other power brokers in college football weighed in on the topic.
Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky said "something has to give on this issue."
Quote: “
Unless the student-athletes in the revenue-producing sports get more of the pie, the model will eventually break down. It seems it is only a matter of time.
” -- Britton Banowsky, Conference USA commissioner
"Universities justify spending tens of millions of dollars on coaches' compensation, with a seemingly insatiable appetite for more growth. At the same time, a small fraction of that amount is spent on all scholarships for all student-athletes," Banowsky said. "Unless the student-athletes in the revenue-producing sports get more of the pie, the model will eventually break down. It seems it is only a matter of time."
SEC commissioner Mike Slive said the issue is one that needs to be revisited.
"I have long thought that we should revisit the current limitations on athletic scholarships by expanding to the full cost of attendance," he said. "This is a student-welfare issue that deserves full consideration at both the conference and national level. I look forward to that discussion."
Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe, ACC commissioner John Swofford and Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott said the concept should be further explored. And spokesmen for NCAA president Mark Emmert and SEC commissioner Mike Slive said they are also in favor of a review that could lead to athletes receiving a "full cost of attendance."
Said Beebe: "This is a topic that BCS commissioners discussed at recent meetings and one that we agreed to review with our respective member institutions at spring conference meetings, which I intend to do at the upcoming annual Big 12 meetings."
Said Swofford: "I think it's something that deserves our full consideration and discussion. It would be consistent with a number of other scholarships that are on our campuses across the country."
Said Scott: "I fully support studying the impact of increasing the grant in aid package for student-athletes. We have not had any discussion on earmarking funds for this purpose."
MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said the issue merits study. But he added, "The first question to answer is -- is this the right thing to do? That is a worthwhile debate. As an association the NCAA strives to differentiate intercollegiate athletics from professional sports and it is important that we continue to maintain the collegiate model."
A spokesman for Emmert said Thursday that Emmert "continues to be interested in discussing options about how to meet student-athletes' needs without paying them salaries."
Emmert has said that closing the gap between monetary awards to merit scholars and student-athletes is worth exploring. On the table could be $2,000 to $5,000 per year per athlete for expenses such as transportation and clothing.
The NCAA spokesman cautioned that while colleges and universities decide on financial-aid levels for student-athletes, for any one conference to implement the "full cost of attendance" plan would require legislative approval from the full NCAA Division I membership.
Swofford added that there are both financial and legal considerations.
"Could it be limited to only revenue-producing sports?" Swofford said. "I'm not sure we would want to do it. And from a legal standpoint, how does it mesh with Title IX? I think we're a ways away from getting there. But it's a student-athlete welfare issue. It's a way to enhance the student-athlete experience and put a dent in some of the financial strains that some athletes have."
Some conferences may be more able to provide the extra funds than others. A spokesman for Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson said Thursday that he did not believe its conference members had discussed the possibility of getting athletes more money.
Joe Schad covers college football for ESPN.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=6566975
RE: Big Ten considers pay proposal - converrl - 05-19-2011 10:03 PM
Saw this coming 1000 miles away.
RE: Big Ten considers pay proposal - nachoman91 - 05-20-2011 07:51 AM
All this will do is increase the gap between the big boys and little guys. Even a team like UC will be adversely affected by this because of their budget constraints. If UC spends $1M a year paying its athletes that's less money for recruiting, facilities, coaches pay, etc. Meanwhile a school like OSU or Texas can absorb that cost without missing a beat.
RE: Big Ten considers pay proposal - BearcatsUC - 05-20-2011 10:31 AM
(05-20-2011 07:51 AM)nachoman91 Wrote: All this will do is increase the gap between the big boys and little guys. Even a team like UC will be adversely affected by this because of their budget constraints. If UC spends $1M a year paying its athletes that's less money for recruiting, facilities, coaches pay, etc. Meanwhile a school like OSU or Texas can absorb that cost without missing a beat.
This will knock a lot of the MAC type schools out of the game. This also opens the door for inflation of payment, which will favor the big schools.
RE: Big Ten considers pay proposal - ctipton - 05-20-2011 12:11 PM
Quote:Doug (Pittsburgh)
I see that the Big Ten is debating on whether or not to pay players stipends. If this passes do you see the Big East doing the same, and will all of the schools be able to afford to do something like?
Brian Bennett
(12:04 PM)
I have a hard time seeing how some schools, like Cincinnati, can afford what could amount to an extra $300,000 a year just for football and men's basketball players alone. A new and more lucrative TV contract could help some. But it's an issue for a league that will never have as much money as a place like the Big Ten.
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/38472