Boeheim AP Interview

[Todd Gack]

Do the schools have any affiliation at all with the bookstores?

I'm sure some do, yes -- but I'd bet what people buy at Manny's or online pales to what they get at Schine. I'd also argue that the reason a CJ Fair jersey is salable is in large part because of the "Syracuse" on the front -- the institution that provides and maintains the facilities he plays in, hires a good coach and supporting team (e.g., strength coach), can fly him to Maui, San Diego, Arkansas, etc. (wherever he can showcase his talents ... on national TV). Doug McDermott is a great college player who'd likely see $500 from the sale of his jersey -- because no one cares about Creighton basketball.

If players ever do see money from their jersey sales, I'd say you'd have to make everybody's jersey available and you'd need to guarantee that every school prices them the same -- so that Kentucky boosters aren't paying $1,000 a pop for a $3 piece of fabric.

 

[Knicks411]

I'm sure some do, yes -- but I'd bet what people buy at Manny's or online pales to what they get at Schine. I'd also argue that the reason a CJ Fair jersey is salable is in large part because of the "Syracuse" on the front -- the institution that provides and maintains the facilities he plays in, hires a good coach and supporting team (e.g., strength coach), can fly him to Maui, San Diego, Arkansas, etc. (wherever he can showcase his talents ... on national TV).

That's definitely true, but at the same time, the reason the Syracuse on the front is marketable is because of the coach and all of the players that have come to the school over the years.

If players ever do see money from their jersey sales, I'd say you'd have to make everybody's jersey available and you'd need to guarantee that every school prices them the same -- so that Kentucky boosters aren't paying $1,000 a pop for a $3 piece of fabric.

That's probably a non-starter with the schools then, I'm guessing. I'm presuming the Kentucky's and Syracuses's and Duke's of the world sell their jerseys for a lot more than Creighton or Providence or whoever.

Maybe this is something th at happens if (when?) the larger conferences break off from the NCAA?

 

[Madbiker]

My takeaway is JB doesn't want to pay the athletes not because they don't draw revenue, but because if you pay Basketball and Football players then you will have to pay all athletes. I get this logic, but a small stipend which I don't think JB was against from the article would be something he is against. Or instead of giving the kid 6,000 dollars in one check the Registrar or whomever cuts those checks should talk with the kids about cutting them into smaller monthly amounts so kids don't waste all the money at once and live like their is no tomorrow with that money.

Also, I would give the kids a portion of their jerseys sales. If someone buys a Syracuse #5 jersey this year they are buying a C.J. Fair jersey or they are busting out their old Josh Pace jersey. I have Syracuse #39, #1 football jerseys I know they are Walter Reyes and Damian Rhodes and #1 and #15 basketball jerseys knowing they are Hakim Warrick and Melo Anthony. Give those kids a portion of those sales.

I can see the rationale for giving players a percentage of merchandise sales for items with their name or likeness.However it's a slippery slope once you start paying players and it can quickly lead to an uneven playing field for recruiting. Big state schools like Ohio St., Kentucky, Alabama, etc. are going to sell a lot more merchandise than smaller schools meaning athletes who go there will make a lot more money than those that go elsewhere. Do we really want that? Also I think if the players get any pay they should then also have to pay their schools some type of fee for the value of coaching they receive that molds them potentially into pros, for the pr services they receive, for the promotional value they derive from playing in big showcase TV games that help establish their names, etc. It's a 2 way street.

 

[Alsacs]

I can see the rationale for giving players a percentage of merchandise sales for items with their name or likeness.However it's a slippery slope once you start paying players and it can quickly lead to an uneven playing field for recruiting. Big state schools like Ohio St., Kentucky, Alabama, etc. are going to sell a lot more merchandise than smaller schools meaning athletes who go there will make a lot more money than those that go elsewhere. Do we really want that? Also I think if the players get any pay they should then also have to pay their schools some type of fee for the value of coaching they receive that molds them potentially into pros, for the pr services they receive, for the promotional value they derive from playing in big showcase TV games that help establish their names, etc. It's a 2 way street.

I wouldn't pay athletes, but giving them compensation for jerseys/video games would allow schools to give the kids a little money and not pay them. Nobody is purchasing a Trevor Cooney jersey or Rak Christmas jersey they are buying Jerami Grant, C.J. Fair jerseys. Just give the kids a portion of the jerseys sales or don't sell specific number jerseys. Jay Bilas nailed the NCAA for their jerseys sales. I wouldn't pay kids to play as they get their scholarships and as JB said the need based kids get Pell Grants. I don't think kids will get stipends because Field Hockey or Men's Cross Country athletes would have to get them as well and those sports don't draw revenue and schools can't give football and basketball players stipends and then have an equal protection lawsuits from not giving them to non-revenue sports.

 

[realorange]

Probably the only schools that might be in favor of this type of payback would be the top 25 out of ~ 150 D1. They would likely be the only ones who could begin to afford it.

 

[djcon57]

"However it's a slippery slope once you start paying players and it can quickly lead to an uneven playing field for recruiting."

Lol...it's already uneven. Don't be naive.

 

[Full_Rebar]

Start with the Olympic model. Let athletes accept sponsorship/endorsement money. This won't cost the schools anything (even though the salaries of coaches and AD's shows they can afford it), and it solves the revenue vs non-revenue debate. Talented kids in Olympic sports would be able to benefit under this model.

 

[bozophobe]

Especially because A) there are guys who don't eventually make $100 million, and B) the money you may or may not make in the future doesn't help put food on your table, or buy you clothes, or whatever, when you're in college.

Exactly. Boeheim made that observation in hindsight.

 

[dollarbill44]

"However it's a slippery slope once you start paying players and it can quickly lead to an uneven playing field for recruiting."

Lol...it's already uneven. Don't be naive.

If you think it's uneven now, just wait. You ain't seen nothing yet.


Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Eagles20]

This debate on whether to pay STUDENT- athletes really only effects a small percentage of colleges and universities... There are over 320 division one basketball programs... Very few of those institutions break even off their sports teams. How many schools in the Patriot league, Ivy League, and smaller conferences could pay athletes... Zero. The athletes at these school actually look at their scholarships with a sense of pride and hold their degree with high regard. They are also very intertwined with the athletic department and help out across the board. I work in college athletics and the university I work at just had its first player drafted in the NBA this past year. The kid during the fall sports season last year helped out the sports media department as a camera guy for their web broadcasts many games...Quality kid who enjoyed his time as a student athlete. He also graduated with over a 3.3 GPA and now has a degree from a prestigious school to fall back on.

My point is some of these student athletes look at a degree and a free education as substantial pay for play and make the best out of the little exposure they get from playing sports. This whole debate about whether athletes should be payed only effects the top notch programs and people are forgetting the division one programs where kids don't take for granted the small perks they get coupled with the scholarship

 

[AZOrange]

Probably the only schools that might be in favor of this type of payback would be the top 25 out of ~ 150 D1. They would likely be the only ones who could begin to afford it.

I was trying to figure out jbs overall comp based on deadspin article hyperlinks. Must be over 2.5mm. Pretty crazy he has a 77k car allowance.

 

[Solitude]

While we're on the topic of interviews, check out this Rick Pitino interview. It's pretty legendary. There is even an audio clip