If we start paying players...

[All4SU]

Then I want a college draft. Hell, if it's professional then let's level the playing field. Kids won't decide what school to go to. They'll just get drafted.

 

[skurey]

Then I want a college draft. Hell, if it's professional then let's level the playing field. Kids won't decide what school to go to. They'll just get drafted.

That's something I've thought of before. Would be awesome.

 

[Cusefan95]

MLB has a draft...not sure I'd argue that it has led to a level playing field. Either the Syracuse's would need to find a way to keep up with what the Alabama's can afford to pay, or there would need to be an artificially low salary cap.

 

[All4SU]

That's something I've thought of before. Would be awesome.

It would suck. I was being sarcastic.

 

[skurey]

In an ideal setting it would be awesome. Problem is there are millions of things that would go wrong.

 

[Cusefan95]

The problem with college athletics in 2013 is that everyone is allowed to profit from the games - the coaches, the schools, the business sponsors - except for the players themselves. It's idiotic. Fundamental economics - any time a legal market is banned, a black market forms. It happened with alcohol during Prohibition, it's happening with illegal drugs now...and it's happening with high level college athletes. The problem with black markets is that they are always dirty and infested with unsavory characters because the market is by definition illegal. Amateurism is a flawed concept - the sooner we come to terms with that and move to some form of legal market based system, the better.

Or we can pretend its still 1950 and remain shocked and indignant at the activities that our inability to come to terms with reality necessarily create. Our choice...

 

[Stern]

The problem with college athletics in 2013 is that everyone is allowed to profit from the games - the coaches, the schools, the business sponsors - except for the players themselves. It's idiotic. Fundamental economics - any time a legal market is banned, a black market forms. It happened with alcohol during Prohibition, it's happening with illegal drugs now...and it's happening with high level college athletes. The problem with black markets is that they are always dirty and infested with unsavory characters because the market is by definition illegal. Amateurism is a flawed concept - the sooner we come to terms with that and move to some form of legal market based system, the better.

Or we can pretend its still 1950 and remain shocked and indignant at the activities that our inability to come to terms with reality necessarily create. Our choice...

They will never pay players. Ever!

 

[Lawrinson14]

If they start paying players than I am done with collegiate athletics.

 

[AZOrange]

Then I want a college draft. Hell, if it's professional then let's level the playing field. Kids won't decide what school to go to. They'll just get drafted.

The best part is that after all the beans are counted and split...each player will get about a quarter.

 

[Orange]

The problem with college athletics in 2013 is that everyone is allowed to profit from the games - the coaches, the schools, the business sponsors - except for the players themselves. It's idiotic. ...

Bad enough as it is. Used to be that our healthcare system wasn't dominated by greed and lobbying. Then it became like college athletics is now. Next the politicians became part of it and look where we ended up. Keep the players focused just on the game so it doesn't end up like our healthcare system.

 

[Cusefan95]

Bad enough as it is. Used to be that our healthcare system wasn't dominated by greed and lobbying. Then it became like college athletics is now. Next the politicians became part of it and look where we ended up. Keep the players focused just on the game so it doesn't end up like our healthcare system.

Horrible example - a free market system would be better for health care, too. The problem with both our government and the NCAA is that they try to legislate/regulate free markets out of existence.

It's fine to not like the results of free markets, provided you are willing to deal with the inevitable results - that college athletics is going to be dirty, corrupt, and unethical. I suspect most of the people on here saying athletes shouldn't be paid freak out about the SEC being dirty. To anyone with that perspective, you are either ignorant or a hypocrite.

 

[Timonen]

Horrible example - a free market system would be better for health care, too. The problem with both our government and the NCAA is that they try to legislate/regulate free markets out of existence.

It's fine to not like the results of free markets, provided you are willing to deal with the inevitable results - that college athletics is going to be dirty, corrupt, and unethical. I suspect most of the people on here saying athletes shouldn't be paid freak out about the SEC being dirty. To anyone with that perspective, you are either ignorant or a hypocrite.

Actually, if it's really a free market, college athletics would look more like the ivys. Folks primarily interested in going to school to play ball will join minor league orgs that would sprout up and get paid. It'd look like baseball and hockey.

 

[Crusty]

They will never pay players. Ever!

They said that about track and field and about pros in the Olympics. I am old enough to use the word "never" very seldom.

 

[Crusty]

Bad enough as it is. Used to be that our healthcare system wasn't dominated by greed and lobbying. Then it became like college athletics is now. Next the politicians became part of it and look where we ended up. Keep the players focused just on the game so it doesn't end up like our healthcare system.

Our healthcare system has always dominated by greed and lobbying.