Like many fans, I was once against paying student athletes. After some study on the topic, I am still against paying athletes, because athletic departments could not afford the payments. I am in favor of allowing athletes to use their athlete status for money: advertisements, a piece of jersey sales or a check for allowing their name and likeness in video games...easy money things that cause little or no interference with the student lifestyle...
This fall as Conference Commissioners trampled tradition in pursuit of TV money, 300 players signed a petition asking for a share of that television revenue.
The NCAA responded by proposing a $2,000 stipend increase.
Status: NCAA will meet in April to discuss changes and implementation.
Outlook: Mid-Majors cannot afford the stipend increase.
Major programs will talk about how this will hurt smaller budget programs, or about how it is unfair to University Faculty and Staff who have not had raises in years. This is all code for: "We are already dominating our competition, in fact athletes will even wait a full year just to come play for us, why should we pay the students more money?"
However, in the wake of Bush, Newton, Yachtgate, and Tatgate, the NCAA needs to have the perception that they are addressing the issue of of student athlete compensation. This will get pushed through by the NCAA. Who cares about the mid-majors anyway…
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