jd of de wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2024 12:09 pm
HOW THE HECK did we go from a conversation that the student-athletes deserved a share of the massive media money being paid for the broadcast rights of the games they play in, to a NIL system that asks donors to support paying student-athletes. Asking for a friend.
Pretty funny, isn’t it?
Those who demanded that the kids get a LARGE share of the TV money were only fooling themselves. Workers (and that is what the players are) are replaceable. Heck, the rules of college sports limit kids playing a max of 4-5 years (4 years, really, since they can only play in a limited number of games in a redshirt year). Plug in a new name and repeat. In sailing terms, most of them are simply rail meat. If the bags of TV money get divided up and the universities want to distribute moolah to the kids, then by all means, have at it. Similar to other employers, they will have to pay the kids what the market will sustain.
The NIL money, on the other hand, is a different beast. If a fan wants a sippy cup with a particular player’s image…pay up. That’s fair. If the players want to make money selling their image to a local pizza joint: cool, too. Let the kids earn money on their images.
But, what I find strange is the universities suddenly wanting fans to contribute money to a pool of NIL money for the players (above and beyond the scholarship stuff). Hey, good luck. If the college players are going to be tramping themselves around from team to team every year with zero loyalty, then why should a fan give a hoot about the individual players? Fans are usually loyal to the TEAM…the school…not a player.
Many, including the players, seem to have forgotten that the student athletes were already getting compensated with a free education (for whatever that is worth these days). It wasn’t a perfect system, but…I am not interested in participating in paying 18-22 year olds gobs of money to put on a uniform, show their face for a year or two, just to *checks notes* play a game.
Again, I agree entirely that the kids should be able to earn whatever the market will pay them. Free enterprise. If they get creative and find a great market fit for their image and can get paid…yes-ha! The American dream.
But, if UD or the kids want me to pay separately for a fund that will be used specifically to recruit kids…just to play a sport for the university…no thanks.
The market will settle in after a few years. Should be a fun ride.