Artwork by
Dennis Murphy

For the students, by the students

April 14, 2004 - As people filed into Jesse Hall last Tuesday night, there was a buzz over the crowd that became louder as Spike Lee was almost 20 minutes late. When he got there though he was received with a standing ovation. He then began to talk about the current University of Colorado football team's recruiting sex scandal. He proceeded to promote paying college athletes, saying that the various athletic departments "pimped college athletes for money who then got the girls the athletic departments pimped to them," combining both arguments into one sentence.

His main argument was that college athletes make millions for colleges every year and get "nothing" in return. He said that athletes are not allowed to have jobs, which actually they can work for up to $2,000 per year when their sport is not in season during the academic year while they can make as much money as they want on vacations.

Another supporter for paying college athletes is the widely renowned Larry Eustachy. Before he was fired at Iowa State for partying after a game right here in Columbia, he made a few comments on the issue in a Big 12 Teleconference (www.espn.com).

"They [the athletes] create a lot of revenue," Eustachy said. "A lot of people get rich off them, including the coaches. To take a stipend out of a coach's check to do something like that, I don't think there would be a coach in the world that would be opposed to it. I know I wouldn't.''

It's kind of ironic seeing as how after being fired Eustachy didn't have a coach's check to take money out of until being recently hired as Southern Mississippi's coach. According to Collegesports.com, there are actually only 40 schools out of the 1,264 NCAA Division I schools that make a profit on sports. Many schools' big programs like football and basketball create revenue so the smaller sports in their schools can stay afloat, many of them making next to nothing every year.

One of the main supporters for paying college athletes is the controversial Nebraska state senator Ernie Sherman. His background also includes some question marks as he was in a black militant group (the Black Panthers) in the 1960's and has been a state senator from Northern Omaha since 1970. He proposed a bill in the unicameral Nebraska legislature stating that if two other states in the Big 12 conference agree, Nebraska will pay college football players. The NCAA stands firm in saying if that would happen they would be ruled ineligible.

The bill actually passed in 1988 but was vetoed by former Governor Kay Orr. The governor of Nebraska now, Mike Johanns, said if it gets to his desk he would sign it into law. Texas also has a similar bill going around their legislature now also.

From the other side of the table is the argument that players already get a free education and other non-material benefits. Some players are looked up to around campus for things they have done just by playing a game. Besides tuition, room, food, and books being paid for, athletes also travel and eat a few more meals free.

At one of the higher end universities for sports, Duke, the expenses for a student in the 2003-04 school year reached $40,080 (www.duke.edu). That is a great education that is being given free to athletes on a full scholarship. Like normal students, there are also many ways athletes can pay the rest of their fees if they don't have a full ride.

At Missouri, a middle range university that is growing fast, costs for the 2003-04 school year reached $24,168 for an out of state student (www.missouri.edu). Even at a lower rung state college like Wichita State in Kansas, the average cost of an education is $13.200 (www.wichita.edu).

The final argument for not paying college athletes is a traditionalist one. What ever happened to just having pride and a love for the game? College is the last stop for athletes to play their sport like it was meant to be played, the natural way, without business, pushy agents, or shoe deals. They base their games much like the Olympics, as amateur, non-paid players. They can show the undying heart that is rarely shown anymore in the professional leagues. The main point is this, that in the 94-year history of the NCAA no player has ever been legally given spending money by the university he attends and it looks to stay that way.

[Editor's note: All opinions expressed are the author's own. CAFNR Corner Post Opinion/Editorials are approved by the CAFNR Corner Post Editorial Board, but are not necessarily the views of the Editorial Board.]

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