Jake McDonough talks about paying players.

[Mr Janny]

Crap I had typed a long reply but lost my internet connection. Anyway, I don't know how many articles written by former athletes that some of you need in order to believe that there is a problem. Yes they should be paid and I think if done correctly it will even improve the competitive balance within the P5 and help a team like ISU. Why do you think many of the top athletes end up in the SEC (just picking a conference at random)? I'm sure everything was always above board.

with any luck, the legal system will take care of the problem. O'Bannon and Keller were the first step. Kessler will be the death blow. It's all coming to a head. 10 years from now, college sports will look nothing like it currently does.

 

[Cyhart]

Aren't the jersey chasers payment enough?! A lot of them are hot!

 

[pulse]

I can't side with him at all. Sub standard and $500/month for rent... So much fail..

 

[cyrocksmypants]

Don't they get a meal package? Hell, I would have just liked that while I was a student so I didn't have to live off of corn flakes and Ramen for three straight months. But it all worked out, because I got to graduate with 20k in debt for my education, just like all of these scholarship athletes. Oh wait....

 

[Frak]

I think that any semblance of paying athletes will kill any competitive balance there is now. If you pay a kid for jersey sales, they are automatically going to go to a place that sells more jerseys. Same with autographs. Maybe the CFB powers don't care about that, because the rich will only get richer. My opinion is that they already took care of the meals issue. That's gone. Now vote through the full cost of attendance and give each athlete (no matter the sport) an extra $3-$5k a year based on cost of living indexes. That's fair to everyone, allows the athletes to go out to eat and pay for gas and doesn't touch what's left of competitive balance.

 

[Mr Janny]

Hey folks, if you want to disagree with Jake's opinion, that's one thing, but please refrain from personal attacks.

 

[istater7]

The NCAA needs to start by getting rid of all of the stupid nonsense rules. That would be a nice first step forward

 

[hawkeye_t]

I know obviously not all players qualify for Pell Grants, but do athletes have access to student loans (subsidized/unsubsidized)?

 

[Mr Janny]

The NCAA needs to start by getting rid of all of the stupid nonsense rules. That would be a nice first step forward

agreed. And I think that's a forgone conclusion at this point. If the NCAA doesn't streamline, the power 5 conferences are going to end up forming their own league and the NCAA will have nothing. Either way, changes will be made.

 

[mcblogerson]

I thought they got a free dorm room with the scholly.

 

[Jambalaya]

I found the unionization proposal with Northwestern U comical

An average Joe student pays approx. $46,000/yr tuition + another $16,000 / yr room & board

That is in the neighborhood of $248,000 for 4 years they're giving to a scholarship FB player for FREE. Plus uniforms; team wear; shoes; etc'

 

[erikbj]

If they want to get paid, then they should be treated like the rest of us working stiffs. Now their scholarships are compensation and they should be taxed, just like the rest of us.

OK guys, the IRS would like their $8K for this year.........this might lead to more arrests in IC than mopeds.

 

[Cyclonetrombone]

Paying $500+/month for an apartment in Ames when you have multiple roommates is stupid. I lived with 3 or 4 other roommates for three years in college and never paid more than $250/month. The places weren't trashy either.

I know a lot of athletes lived in Freddy C when I was in school. That amounted to about $525 a month but you never saw that go away because it was all payed beginning of the semester. (additionally, I am pretty sure that was part of their scholarships)

 

[cydoge]

I thought they got a free dorm room with the scholly.

I thought this too, if rent is so high for them, I don't see why it is so hard to just live in the Freddy apartments. Plus I'm pretty sure if they live on campus they get a meal plan provided, two birds with one stone.

 

[Cyclonetrombone]

I found the unionization proposal with Northwestern U comical

An average Joe student pays approx. $46,000/yr tuition + another $16,000 / yr room & board

That is in the neighborhood of $248,000 for 4 years they're giving to a scholarship FB player for FREE. Plus uniforms; team wear; shoes; etc'

But... but... what about the true cost of living?!?!?! Are you expecting them to not have multiple top end game systems and to not go out to the bars every weekend? My brother was on scholarship at UNI in Track and Field and he roofed houses over the summer... there are jobs they can get. Even if it is for one month of the year, its not like they are paying for anything else. I am so tired of this whole debate. I just wanted it ended one way or another.

 

[wonkadog]

I know obviously not all players qualify for Pell Grants, but do athletes have access to student loans (subsidized/unsubsidized)?

I was wondering about this too. I never get the "I have to work full-time outside of class to pay for school" story that I hear all the time from students. That's their decision to not take on loans, it's not like there isn't an option to help them out. I am not sure whether scholarship athletes can get loans or not...

 

[Bigman38]

He, and anyone else who thinks players need paid, needs to stick to talking about all the money that's being made by the college and the NCAA that they players never see. The poor college kid angle won't garner much support. I wonder if these guys just don't realize that a lot of college students are poor.

 

[Mr Janny]

He, and anyone else who thinks players need paid, needs to stick to talking about all the money that's being made by the college and the NCAA. The poor college kid angle won't garner much support. I wonder if these guys just don't realize that a lot of college students are poor.

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.

 

[Messi]

I was wondering about this too. I never get the "I have to work full-time outside of class to pay for school" story that I hear all the time from students. That's their decision to not take on loans, it's not like there isn't an option to help them out. I am not sure whether scholarship athletes can get loans or not...

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.

 

[Clonefan32]

I'm normally on the pay student athletes side of the argument, but this article irritated the hell out of me. First of all, I've yet to see an athlete in public I felt was struggling financially. They always seem to have nice clothes, they always seem to have nice vehicles. I don't quite get the sense they are poverty stricken.

Not to mention, you don't become a 300 pound defensive lineman and complain about not having enough money for food. The football program clearly made sure you had enough to eat.

There are legitimately poor people in this country and this state, so I'm not going to feel sorry for the guy who is getting a free education, having Iowa State clothes put on his back, living in a $1500-$2000/month apartment and obviously eating very well because he got denied food stamps and didn't have time for a job.