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"People need to realize that players do get paid" - Collin Carrol, C for VTech and part-time columnist
Link
collegiatetimes.com
Giving players more money won’t solve the insubordination. We already have more money than we know what to do with.
Scholarship football players received a check for $4,143 at the beginning of the season to cover room and board for the semester. Add to that a training camp check for $150, a Thanksgiving check for $150, a $400 meal enhancement check, $600 at the bowl game, and $15 in spending money after every home game. You’re looking at $5,533 in cash during the fall semester — not including the possibility of qualifying for a $2,775 Pell Grant.
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When we finish playing football, we leave with a degree from Tech — valued at $5,254 per semester for in-state tuition. Tutors are at our disposal and paid for by the athletic department.
In one semester, the benefits total $14,551 per player.
The NCAA limits the work week to 19 hours for student-athletes, which includes practice, meetings and weight-lifting. Over a 20-week season, we put in a total of 380 hours, at an hourly wage of $38.29.
While I understand we don’t have the luxury of allocating that $14,551 however we’d like, what else would we spend it on, other than food, clothes, toys and tuition? Even when we look solely at the cash, we’re in abundance.
A nice apartment in Blacksburg will cost roughly $450 per month, or $2,250 per semester. Purchase a Mega Flex meal plan for $1,459, and your meals are covered. With $5,533 in cash during the fall, this leaves athletes with $1,824 in extra spending money per semester, $364 per month, $81 per week or $12 per day. If someone can’t survive on $12 per day, when food and rent are taken care of, I question the admission process.
Interesting take on the lack of necessity for NCAA player stipends. My view is that players are being exploited without due compensation, but $38/hour makes it sound less unfair.
