In college sports, it seems that everybody gets paid except the athlete. That's a raw deal. The players provide the labor that produces winning teams, which in turn, generates heightened fan interest. As a result, football stadiums and basketball arenas are filled to capacity, translating into fatter operating budgets for the athletic powers.
The money trail doesn't end there. Here's a sampling:
* University of Florida football coach Steve Spurrier earns $2 million a year. Perks include performance bonuses (for his teams winning conference titles and going to bowl games), a clothing allowance, money for radio and television shows, a sportswear contract and two free cars -- one for the coach, the other for Mrs. Spurrier.
* Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt doesn't fare badly either. Summitt's $500,000 a year income breaks down into a $175,00 base salary, $150,00 for radio and television shows, a $125,00 sports apparel contract, plus a $50,000 retention bonus.
* Tulsa basketball coach Bill Self got a sweet deal after his team fell one win short of advancing to this year's Final Four of the National Collegiate Atheletic Association tournament. He turned down an offer from the University of Nebraska that would have paid him anywhere from $800,000 to $1 million annually. Self, however, is being well compensated for staying put. He's now making $650,000 -- a whopping $300,000 raise -- and for good measure, the school tossed in a $1 million annuity that kicks in if he stays with the program for five more years.
* Shoe contracts are becoming a regular source of income at most of the major colleges. Schools don't usually reveal how much they make from shoe contracts. But that's not the case at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, which has a five-year, $7.1 million contract with Nike.
Clearly, big-time college sports means big business. Last year, the payouts for football teams playing in bowl games ranged from $750,000 to $13 million.
Last fall, the NCAA cut a new deal with CBS for TV rights fees to air exclusive broadcasts all NCAA men's basketball tournament games. That contract is worth $6.2 billion and has been extended to the year 2013.
DR. BOYCE WATKINS
17 comments:
Those coaches stats are old, Spurrier is now at the South Carolina and Bill Self is now at Kansas.
For this summer they implemented rules that allows basketball prep athletes to go to more than one camp, and limits some of the basketball coaches recruiting window. I don't think this affects the bottom line in anyway, the sneaker companies still have way too much influence. Sonny Vaccaro got on someone's nerves so he lost his job.
I don't know if athletes should be paid because the accounting-bureacracy that would have to be set up would be ridiculous. However, I do think that the rules should be changed that an athlete can get a "benefit", and the amount of these "benefits" can be regulated. As it is now an athlete can't work a summer job that a booster gave him because its an improper benefit. Now if said student was a Chemistry major and Pfizer liked them and gave them a summer job there wouldn't be any issue.What's the deal?
I think the athletes should be paid cold hard cash. Not even a check. I mean cold hard cash before every game. $5K to $10K each.
That would still be pennies on the dollar from what these white colleges are earning from black athletes.
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I just tripped off of that picture you used, my man gotta a plate of Nuts in yo Face! I hate new school basketball, F an offensive foul, go up and try to block the shot.
Pay the sharecroppers
LOL. You peeped that D?
That's every big man's nightmare. Get postered with some shooting guards Johnson resting on the bridge of your nose.
Michael Fisher said... Pay the sharecroppers
That's right.
Pay them until the Corporate House Negros from Integrated and Ivy League schools come through and do their part by building an alternative venue for the talents of these young brothas.
You would think us Ej U Macated Negros would have at least channeled this black talent to black colleges and universities.
But Nahhhhhhh ... deep down inside House Negros want to be sittin' up under white folks.
Makes us feel like "we have arrived".
In purely economic terms, yes they should be paid. They are a commodity. Their economic value far exceeds the compensation of free tuition.
In theory they should be paid, but in practice I think the negative affects could be monumental. I think it's ridiculous that the college coaches in some instances get paid more than the college presidents of their respective school. It says a lot about what's valued at a higher institution of learning. If you start paying college athletes, you will essentially be turning college sports into the minor leagues. Instead of student/athletes they will simply be athletes. I think this will take even more focus off of education which would probably be beneficial considering only a small number actually make it to the pros.
" If you start paying college athletes, you will essentially be turning college sports into the minor leagues." Paul
Do you think that has already happened?
"Instead of student/athletes they will simply be athletes." Paul
Do you think that has already happened?
"until the Corporate House Negros from Integrated and Ivy League schools come through"
For most of 'em... Don't hold your breath.
Yes they should be paid. What prevents a non-athlete student from being paid for work outside of the classroom? College basketball is/was the minor league system for the pro game.
so DV what is your logic? "Go with the flow" or better yet, "open up the dam"?
I think education should be the #1 priority for a college student even it it's not. I'm not going to agree to something that I think will further undermine the importance of education to a student/athlete. I already said I think it's ridiculous that college coaches get paid more than the presidents.
I think the VAST majority of high school athlete recruits should choose a school based on academics considering a very small minority make it to the pros. They want to use you for you skills...considering that will probably be the last place you use your skills on a grand level...use them for their education.
My point is that education should be priority for a college student and I'm against anything that undermines that importance.
I hear you Paul. Your reasoning makes sense. I'm rather radical when it comes to little social policy issues like this.
First of all. "Education" is overrated.
What is sold at most universities, particularly to black athletes, is not really "Education".
A degree in "turf and recreation management" is not going to change anyone's life very much.
I saw we as a nation stop bullshitting ourselves that we are talking about "student athletes".
This is professional minor league sports.
Rainbow Push got mad because the Braves and the Astros didn't have any Black players on their teams. 60 years after Jackie Robinson we are still fighting the same stupid battles. Calling these guys sharecroppers is an insult to hard-working sharecroppers everywhere. At least the sharecropper could use the excuse that there was no land available for him to plant his own crop. How many of these high paid athletes would it take to buy up a few teams or even better, start their own league and control their own product? It will never happen because athletes are intentionally kept ignorant, they powers that be make sure the athlete has a good white wife to keep them confused and a good white manager to make sure they don't get too smart.
We continue to get screwed because we don't even try to own our labors. It isn't a new phenomena.
Black colleges want to attract the marquee players, maybe they should start paying them. If the NCAA doesn't like it, so what, the NCAA isn't doing anything for any Black college anyway. Once these guys are ready to go professional, teams aren't going to pass on them just because they didn't go to a major school. Talent is talent no matter where it comes from. But that's probably too radical for us Ed-Umacated Nigras.
Paul says:
"I think education should be the #1 priority for a college student even it it's not. I'm not going to agree to something that I think will further undermine the importance of education to a student/athlete."
DV says:
"'Education' is overrated.
What is sold at most universities, particularly to black athletes, is not really 'Education'."
There are two types of education in this country (as in every other country).
There is the education which educates you to run this country. Which is the education they give you at Yale, Harvard, and Princeton. Plus the various contacts to go with that.
Then there is the education they give you so you can provide various services from high tech such as you learn at MIT to clerical such as you learn at a community college.
For black folk the education they get at Yale or Harvard is usually wasted on them. Mostly 'cause black folk ain't got no country to run ova here. And 'cause they ain't gonna get true access to the inside contacts anyhow. Which, since these black folks' "country running" services aren't required leaves them, like Skip Gates and them, to become assistants to the actual country runners.
So. Get these black boys paid for their services, go to the library and get an education of how to build your own business. And get rich like Bill Gates who dropped out of school.
And yes, go get your college degree, but never, ever rely on it. Rely on self, a local library, an internet connection, and what the Jews call "Chuzpah".
Always try to build your own shit.
You'll never be unemployed. Even if you make less than minimum wage.
Plus, since you're in charge of hiring and firing, you'll always the first hired and the last fired.
Exodus Mentality.
I like your style. Welcome to the blog.
However, I'm not prepared to demand anything of "black athletes" that we are not prepared to demand of ourselves?
Where are the black law firms and banking houses operating with a scope and scale commiserate with the black American GDP?
Mr. Fisher said,
"And yes, go get your college degree, but never, ever rely on it. Rely on self, a local library, an internet connection, and what the Jews call "Chuzpah".
Always try to build your own shit."
WELL SAID. I would be miserable if I didn't work for myself in the "land of opportunity."
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