Jake McDonough talks about paying players.

lots of athletes apply for, and get, Pell grants which, in my opinion, is BS. Yea, some of our athletes do come from very low income families, but theyre on full ride scholarships, housing allowance, meals, etc. Athletes getting Pell Grants (no matter what their families financial situation is) only takes money away from other students who also come from economic hardship and don't have an athletic dept writing their tuition checks.

Wow, ok, that clarifies that and is complete crap. I'm fully back to the opinion that a lot of these athletes come off as whiny crybabies. Take your endless amount of free stuff (food, clothing, TUITION, etc.) and be quiet.
 
I would be in favor of raising the stipend given to student athletes. It is impossible for an athlete to have a job between school and sports commitments. If a student athlete's family can not help out they literally have very little to live on.

But I think the amount should be controlled and paid through normal scholarship channels.
 
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Boo ******* hoo you got denied food stamps because your $500/month apartment was too expensive. Well maybe you should've lived in something a little more affordable like the rest of us college students. You'll get no sympathy here.
 
I think you're right. The winning argument is showing the NCAA as a cartel that artificially limits the value of scholarships, and restricts players from profiting off of their own likenesses, while the NCAA themselves makes huge money off of those same likenesses.

Bingo. I'm onboard for the argument that the NCAA is making money hand-over-fist while not giving back to those who actually earn the money. However, you're not going to get much sympathy as a student-athlete with the "I'm so oppressed, I go to bed hungry every night" argument.
 
I think the gap always comes in regards to the "extra" money. A football player coming in is guaranteed a place to live, tuition, books, and a place to eat. They can choose not to live in the provided place...sometimes that makes them a little extra spending money...but sometimes they don't calculate the expenses properly (cable, internet, heat, water provided in a res hall or in the student apartments) where that may not be included in there $500 a month rental, and we all know how those expenses add up.

Yes, it is wrong that a coach/administrator in the NCAA can make millions, but if said player is given a hamburger it is a violation that could take them off the field. But, as many have said, the minute you try to pay out much more than the living/tuition expenses, it becomes a job and MUCH more tricky.
 
I would be in favor of raising the stipend given to student athletes. It is impossible for an athlete to have a job between school and sports commitments. If a student athlete's family can not help out they literally have very little to live on.

But I think the amount should be controlled and paid through normal scholarship channels.

That's just not true.
 
I think you're right. The winning argument is showing the NCAA as a cartel that artificially limits the value of scholarships, and restricts players from profiting off of their own likenesses, while the NCAA themselves makes huge money off of those same likenesses.

********. That scholarship is worth however much the student wants it to be in most cases. I'm sorry your degree in kinesiology or communications that you essentially decided to buy with your scholarship doesn't do much for you. Besides, that there are probably about 20 guys in college football on a given year who make the NCAA money based on their likeness.
 
I think they should get a little more money than they do, $1000/month sounds good, and the meals thing should have changed long before it did. But with that said the $600 he got a month was pretty comparable to what I was making in a month with my job and I had the same expenses plus tuition. I took out student loans to cover any gaps that was needed in expenses/revenue of my day to day life.
 
********. That scholarship is worth however much the student wants it to be in most cases. I'm sorry your degree in kinesiology or communications that you essentially decided to buy with your scholarship doesn't do much for you. Besides, that there are probably about 20 guys in college football on a given year who make the NCAA money based on their likeness.

I'm not talking about the value of the degree. I'm talking about the value of the scholarship. Those are two different things. A scholarship is artificially capped at the cost of tuition/room/board/etc. and in many cases that amount has been shown to be less than the total out of pocket cost required to attend. If the courts find that the NCAA is a cartel, then it's a very clear anti-trust violation. The amateurism and competitive balance arguments that the NCAA likes to hide behind won't really matter at that point.
 
********. That scholarship is worth however much the student wants it to be in most cases. I'm sorry your degree in kinesiology or communications that you essentially decided to buy with your scholarship doesn't do much for you. Besides, that there are probably about 20 guys in college football on a given year who make the NCAA money based on their likeness.

This may be the only part of his "article" I actually agreed with. With the extreme time commitment of football, and the fact the University is more than willing to have them play a Friday night game in Connecticut, I do see how it would be difficult to take on a difficult course of study and play football. I do see how one would gravitate to an easier major in order to not bite off more than they can chew and stay eligible.
 
This may be the only part of his "article" I actually agreed with. With the extreme time commitment of football, and the fact the University is more than willing to have them play a Friday night game in Connecticut, I do see how it would be difficult to take on a difficult course of study and play football. I do see how one would gravitate to an easier major in order to not bite off more than they can chew and stay eligible.

That's absolutely the case, and in some cases, players are encouraged to take easier majors. During the recent O'Bannon trial, evidence was introduced showing how a high number of scholarship athletes ended up taking the same major as other athletes. The NCAA's defense was that they like being in class with their friends, who happened to also be athletes.
 
While at Iowa State, I was on scholarship to a non revenue sport and I thought life was awesome. Background, I grew up in your token Iowa farm community. Dad was a farmer and mom was a school teacher. I give you this because most of you can either relate to or know a family like this so you know. Basically I grew up in a financially conservative and aware family. My freshman year, I walked on. My Sophmore year I was awarded Books. At this point I thought I had made it and loved life, during my Sophmore year I became a Big 12 finalist which got me a partial scholarship my Junior year. Partial Scholarship meant, Books and Tuition paid for. At this point I didnt know if life could get any better. During my Junior year I qualified for the NCAA's and became an All American, so I qualified for full a Athletic Scholarship. So during my Senior year, not only did I get books and tuition paid for, but I suddenly received money for Food, Housing, and Clothes. As hard as I tried I could not spend the "stipend" money fast enough, so some of it went towards my fiance's living expenses. Maybe I'm frugile, like most college kids I lived in a cracker box house that was half fallen over with as many roommates as comfortable. I needed nuitrion for my sport, so I know I ate decent enough. During the season we were always gone so I didnt burn money on the weekends. So forgive me (disagree if you want), when I say I have no idea where these "broke, starving, full ride athletes in the major sports" are coming from. From what I experienced I simply disagree. I got paid very handsomely.
 
If Jake is paying players then he shouldn't be talking about it. NCAA will be all over it.
 
That's absolutely the case, and in some cases, players are encouraged to take easier majors. During the recent O'Bannon trial, evidence was introduced showing how a high number of scholarship athletes ended up taking the same major as other athletes. The NCAA's defense was that they like being in class with their friends, who happened to also be athletes.

Again, I was in a non revenue sport. I started out as an Animal Science major. My Junior year, I got called into my sports "Academic Counselors" office and was told I needed to pick up a 2nd major because I was on course to graduate before my Athletic Elegibility got up. At this point he said, "The Athletic program is paying for your education so use it to your advantage, I've already looked it up I think Ag Business would fall directly into your current curriculum requirements and it would only take about 12 more credits to achieve, sound good?" Best advice I ever received, and I'm not sure if I ever had anything to do with it. I work in a bank as an ag loan officer during the day and run a 2000 head cattle feedlot on the side. Bottom line is there are corrupt universities who are trying to keep boxes of rocks eligible to play, then there are universities who have employees who are looking out for the best interest of the athlete.
 
I too found the $500/month apartment cost a bit suspect. Four years ago I paid $350 with two roommates in a nice apartment that was just one block off campus.

Jake's argument heavily centers around meals. And it's easy to sympathize with not being able to afford food. Especially for athletes who burn a lot of calories. But the NCAA just approved UNLIMITED MEALS AND SNACKS to all Division I athletes, including walk ons. This goes into effect in a couple weeks and really makes his entire argument outdated. Take the food issue out of the equation, and what's the problem? Not enough beer money? Tough luck, quit football and get a job or take out student loans if you want the extravagant college experience everyone else is drastically overpaying for.

Players are getting paid a decent amount (tuition/food). They're totally free to argue for more based on NCAA revenue, but I don't think the "hardship" arguments are going to be as valid moving forward.
 
Count me in the group that thinks college athletes shouldn't be paid (more than they already are). They get their education, tutors, athletic equipment/clothes, food, housing, books, physical therapy, not to mention the professional training that prepares them for a very lucrative career in the NFL or whatever. And many (not all) have fancy cars, phones, TVs, etc while doing so.

Just started watching a documentary last night called 'Schooled: The true cost of college athletics' or something close to that. I just kept shaking my head at some of the arguments being made. (Arian Foster came off as a HUGE whiny B) My thoughts are if you don't think they are going to give you enough for your service & think they will make too much off of you, don't play! Guess what, nobody is forcing you to play college athletics. I guaran-damn-tee that if you don't want to play, somebody else will be more than willing to take your place.
 
I too found the $500/month apartment cost a bit suspect. Four years ago I paid $350 with two roommates in a nice apartment that was just one block off campus.

Jake's argument heavily centers around meals. And it's easy to sympathize with not being able to afford food. Especially for athletes who burn a lot of calories. But the NCAA just approved UNLIMITED MEALS AND SNACKS to all Division I athletes, including walk ons. This goes into effect in a couple weeks and really makes his entire argument outdated. Take the food issue out of the equation, and what's the problem? Not enough beer money? Tough luck, quit football and get a job or take out student loans if you want the extravagant college experience everyone else is drastically overpaying for.

Players are getting paid a decent amount (tuition/food). They're totally free to argue for more based on NCAA revenue, but I don't think the "hardship" arguments are going to be as valid moving forward.

This is where he lost me too. He get a stipend of 600/month. Assuming an average college student can make like $11 an hour, getting 600/month is roughly the equivalent of 70 hours a month, factoring in that the 600 would be after taxes. So essentially, a football player with a 600/month stipend receives as much spending money as a college student working 17 hours per week, which I imagine is typical. So basically Jake is saying he has been wronged by not being able to work a full time job, which so many 18-22 year old college kids do....
 
This is where he lost me too. He get a stipend of 600/month. Assuming an average college student can make like $11 an hour, getting 600/month is roughly the equivalent of 70 hours a month, factoring in that the 600 would be after taxes. So essentially, a football player with a 600/month stipend receives as much spending money as a college student working 17 hours per week, which I imagine is typical. So basically Jake is saying he has been wronged by not being able to work a full time job, which so many 18-22 year old college kids do....

Next up on the "woe is me" list, losing out on resume building because I'm only getting a stipend and won't be able to put that illustrious Lowe's garden center employee on my job history down the road. No!!! :mad:
 
What concerns me a little is when he says some players wouldn't use the money they received and send it home to take care of their families. Is that legal for them to do that? I don't know the rules on what/where the money can be spent..so maybe its a non issue.