How to compensate players without paying them.

[eel]

With all the corruption out there in college basketball, there are a lot of calls to pay players. I believe there is a simple way to do this and it won't cost the schools anything. Just follow the Olympic model and allow players to sign promotional deals while still in school. The school could be required to act as an "agent" for any deals made and get a 10% cut for the service.  They could have a fiduciary responsibility to make sure the athlete does not get screwed and does not get spread too thin.

In this way someone like Deandre Ayton could get big bucks by signing a shoe contract and a player like Alex Barcello might still get a few bucks by doing a commercial for a local restaurant.  It would really be a meritocracy - the best players and personalities would make the most.  And if a video game developer wants to license the entire team, everyone can split the proceeds.

No need for the school to pay the players directly - there is plenty of money out there to be made.

[PBCatfan]

Why not just let the money come from the free market? Never from schools or coaches but if an agent, a shoe rep, or a local car dealership wants to give a kid 10k to do a commercial or something, why is that a big deal?

[wc]

I wonder how much of the corruption would just disappear, if the NBA would do away with the rule that made College Basketball a one and done proving grounds for the pro's.

[Av8rjj]

I think this is very far from being thought through and executable.  What about athletes from smaller non revenue sports? Do all athletes get paid? Only the top tier?  Would male and female athletes get paid the same (doesn't happen in business)? Ethnic backgrounds paid the same? I can see much litigation for many years as soon as it is potentially released. Do not agree but that is how our society has devolved to.

[eel]

I think this is very far from being thought through and executable.  What about athletes from smaller non revenue sports? Do all athletes get paid? Only the top tier?  Would male and female athletes get paid the same (doesn't happen in business)? Ethnic backgrounds paid the same? I can see much litigation for many years as soon as it is potentially released. Do not agree but that is how our society has devolved to.

You get paid based on your marketability. If you are a top women softball pitcher you might make some money. If you are a walk-on men's football player you probably won't. All based on merit and what sells. Kind of like the real world....

[jumpinjohnny]

Not a bad idea.

[Bear]

I don't know what the answers are here.  But I do wonder why athletics are still treated differently at the college level than any other profession when the end game in many of these is a career whether it's playing, coaching, nutrition, marketing, etc.  Why can't there be med school, law, school, athletics school?

[eel]

More people suggesting the Olympic model:

http://tucson.com/news/local/steller-column-deep-in-old-main-let-s-hope-an/article_8fc6101d-91a6-5694-8555-988aa8344b42.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share

[Titan4Wildcats]

It should be pretty simple.  The majors make a bundle off of their sports, set aside a half mil and pay ALL of their athletes something decent during the season when they're so occupied with school AND PERFORMING, i.e., making the schools money.  The NCAA should create a slush fund to help the schools that don't make as much to help even it out as much as possible for their students.  And then as a bonus...companies like ESPN that print lies, rumors, and garbage pay fines that also add to the funds.  Works for me!  But, I'm not really an athlete...that was just a rumor reported by ESPN.