It amazes me that people don't appreciate the value of education ... in a college sports forum. Proponents of the "no cash, no value" argument ought to try looking out 5 or 10 years, instead of 2. They're forgetting that we're in a knowledge economy. Lots of candidates are out there competing for employment, and the ones with degrees are at the front of the line. College, now, is what HS used to be 30 years ago. It's a threshold requirement for most good-paying jobs outside of the trades. And the skilled trades have their own apprenticeships and experience requirements. You can't even teach 1st grade in NY without a masters.
Without an educational component, what happens to a kid on the d-league plan who leaves school and then blows out a knee or isn't good enough to make a pro rotation (this is the vast majority even at the D-1 level)? What's next for him, sealing driveways or Taco Bell? That's a pretty short-sighted career plan -- one with long odds and no back up. Therefore, for all but a couple hundred kids every year -- a college degree is worth its weight in gold given any realistic consideration for the future. It's beyond short-sighted to pretend that SA's are getting ripped off because they spend a few years - while still playing sports - preparing for the next 40.
Another (corollary) fallacy is that SA's are "forced labor". This is a derivative of the "if no cash, no value" argument, and just as inaccurate. No one is forcing kids to get a degree. Although they can't enter the (NBA) draft out of HS (they have to be 1 year removed or 19), they can go overseas and get paid, then return to the NBA the next year. If, on the other hand, they choose to enroll in college - then they (wisely, IMO) accept the bargain. They get free room and board, a stipend for expenses, the benefit of a degree (or college credits), and along the way they get to play in front of big crowds, take advantage of amazing coaching, develop their game and showcase their skills on national TV. Their only "sacrifice" is to remain amateurs and complete their classwork. And that's as it should be. They may not "like" classes at that age, but they clearly benefit, and it goes without saying that Universities (at least legitimate ones) are not set up to function as d-leagues. Unlike UK and the shady AAU system, they provide an opportunity to build a future after sports. Ahletes are supposed to attend classes to maintain their scholarships, but they're not actually forced to do anything. College is a choice, not an armed camp with barbed wire. Kids are free to drop out anytime, but at their own peril. It's a cold hard world out there with no education.
So what about the money? Yes, the NCAA makes money, and I would be the first to admit that I don't like the way it operates. I'd make major changes in the clearing-house, the enforcement division and in leadership. But the fact that they make almost a billion dollars doesn't mean they're stealing. As a NFP membership association, they're required to put the money back into programs, enforcement and other expenses. Colleges make money too ... but again they're NFP educational institutions. Their revenues, by law, must be offset by costs for faculty, facilities, scholarships and other legitimate expenses -- which should never include bundles of cash for amateur athletes.
