NCAA President Calls For "Scholarships For Life"

[Tugg Speedman]

Check off another thing the failed Northwestern union movement wanted and will now probably get.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/11196036/ncaa-president-mark-emmert-calls-scholarships-life-meeting-senate-panel

NCAA President Calls For "Scholarships For Life"

WASHINGTON -- NCAA president Mark Emmert says college athletes should receive "scholarships for life."

Emmert also told a Senate panel Wednesday that scholarships should cover the full cost of attending college, not just the basics.

Emmert listed seven changes he favors in testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee. He said he hopes some will come about if Division I schools remake their decision-making structure in the coming weeks.

The hearing comes as the NCAA faces pressure from multiple fronts to reform how athletes are treated and compensated.

Emmert said he feels college sports "works extremely well for the vast majority" and the overall current model of amateurism should be preserved.

[willie warrior]

I believe that Otule had a scholarship for life, but since he is now eligible for Social Security benefits, he decided to move on.

[brandx]

Evil communist.

Trying to create another generation of takers.

[ChicosBailBonds]

First pitched more than 9 years ago, when the Northwestern players were picking their noses.  The NCAA is an organization, the MEMBERSHIP drafts the legislation and the MEMBERSHIP approves or disapproves it, just like Marquette voted NO on 4 years scholarships as a voting member.

At any rate, many of these ideas have been around for a long time and some have been voted on and rejected, others voted on and approved....long before any vote.  By the way, that was the vote that Northwestern football players voted to Unionize..right....sort of like UW not going to the NCAA tournament?   

[Tugg Speedman]

First pitched more than 9 years ago, when the Northwestern players were picking their noses.  The NCAA is an organization, the MEMBERSHIP drafts the legislation and the MEMBERSHIP approves or disapproves it, just like Marquette voted NO on 4 years scholarships as a voting member.

At any rate, many of these ideas have been around for a long time and some have been voted on and rejected, others voted on and approved....long before any vote.  By the way, that was the vote that Northwestern football players voted to Unionize..right....sort of like UW not going to the NCAA tournament?   

EVERYTHING has been proposed and debated.  I'm sure the NCAA has proposed and debated plans for what to do if Canada invades the US (and proposed it before most current players were born!) 

The issue is the proposals that matter to the union movement where going NOWHERE until the union movement forced the issue.

The vote lost but they are getting what they want because they took the vote.  So, they won!

[Dawson Rental]

"All great fortunes are amassed with either cheap or slave labor," Russell said. "The NCAA is the one group everybody is focusing on. They have this money machine. To keep it this way, the labor force has to be free or very low wages ... All the agreements with the NBA now are based on collective bargaining."

--Bill Russell when asked about NCAA players unionizing.

[Class71]

"All great fortunes are amassed with either cheap or slave labor," Russell said. "The NCAA is the one group everybody is focusing on. They have this money machine. To keep it this way, the labor force has to be free or very low wages ... All the agreements with the NBA now are based on collective bargaining."

--Bill Russell when asked about NCAA players unionizing.

The sad part is some people actually believe that rubbish.

[avid1010]

The sad part is some people actually believe that rubbish.

if you don't have enough respect for someone like bill russell, to at least stop and think about what he's saying just because of the credibility he deserves, maybe you're the sad one.  i don't necessarily agree with him, but i sure respect his opinion. 

[Class71]

if you don't have enough respect for someone like bill russell, to at least stop and think about what he's saying just because of the credibility he deserves, maybe you're the sad one.  i don't necessarily agree with him, but i sure respect his opinion. 

I never met him so I have no opinion on him one way or another. What I do know are the words were not original and have been proven wrong many times. The NCAA is not a free market and that is the problem - not capitalism which those words were used to originally condemn.

[MarquetteDano]

"All great fortunes are amassed with either cheap or slave labor," Russell said. "The NCAA is the one group everybody is focusing on. They have this money machine. To keep it this way, the labor force has to be free or very low wages ... All the agreements with the NBA now are based on collective bargaining."

--Bill Russell when asked about NCAA players unionizing.

If Bill really believes what he says he should create a pro league that feeds the nba, make millions, and pay the athletes millions. Wonder why he doesnt or cant?

[mu03eng]

If Bill really believes what he says he should create a pro league that feeds the nba, make millions, and pay the athletes millions. Wonder why he doesnt or cant?

That is his point....the current model only works if you exploit the players prior to them becoming professionals.

[mu03eng]

EVERYTHING has been proposed and debated.  I'm sure the NCAA has proposed and debated plans for what to do if Canada invades the US (and proposed it before most current players were born!) 

The issue is the proposals that matter to the union movement where going NOWHERE until the union movement forced the issue.

The vote lost but they are getting what they want because they took the vote.  So, they won!

Don't mistake correlation for causation.  The NW unionization move had almost nothing to do with this.  This is a growing media spot light coming out of a whole BUNCH of things like the Miami penalties, PSU penalties, OBannon lawsuit, NW union, lots of quotes from current and former players, etc.

The NCAA is trying to move just enough to appease enough of the masses that they move on to some other pick fork topic.

[mu03eng]

And FYI, this could be one of the ways the sports entertainment money train derails.  Any additional "benefits" that go to the revenue sports (football/basketball) will also have to go to the non-revenue sports meaning a pretty exponential growth in athletic department costs, which some schools, including MU may find hard to stomach.  And given the realities of Title IX it would be difficult to cut sports to defray costs meaning something else would have to give.  Not sure what the new model would become but it would definitely be different and one of the results could be a reduced emphasis on college football/basketball at a lot of schools because of costs.  One outcome of this could be reduced opportunities for players as well as programs fold there would be fewer "slots" available for kids to get a college education.

I'm not saying the for life model is good or bad(personally I think it's a good idea)....but there are impacts regardless of being good or bad.

[Coleman]

I believe that Otule had a scholarship for life, but since he is now eligible for Social Security benefits, he decided to move on.

Tanks for the giggles

[GGGG]

And FYI, this could be one of the ways the sports entertainment money train derails.  Any additional "benefits" that go to the revenue sports (football/basketball) will also have to go to the non-revenue sports meaning a pretty exponential growth in athletic department costs, which some schools, including MU may find hard to stomach.  And given the realities of Title IX it would be difficult to cut sports to defray costs meaning something else would have to give.  Not sure what the new model would become but it would definitely be different and one of the results could be a reduced emphasis on college football/basketball at a lot of schools because of costs.  One outcome of this could be reduced opportunities for players as well as programs fold there would be fewer "slots" available for kids to get a college education.

I'm not saying the for life model is good or bad(personally I think it's a good idea)....but there are impacts regardless of being good or bad.

I thoroughly believe that one of the motivations behind the "Power 5" conferences increasing the valuation of the athletic scholarship is to drive a bunch of schools out of FBS and Division 1 altogether.  I think Marquette can afford the enhanced scholarships.  But I am not sure if lower level, football playing schools can. 

[brandx]

If Bill really believes what he says he should create a pro league that feeds the nba, make millions, and pay the athletes millions. Wonder why he doesnt or cant?

That's really an inane point!

[Coleman]

In practice, what does this even mean?

You still only get 4 years of eligibility. So does it just mean you can go to school there for free, forever? Like a masters degree and so forth?

How many athletes will do this? Sure, some will, but probably a very small minority. Seems like more of a PR stunt than anything else.

[MarquetteDano]

That's really an inane point!

Your comment is not really a rebuttal.  The point is that if labor is being taken advantage of, you can create your own company, treat them better, hire them away, and make these millions everyone is taking about.

If you are saying there is a barrier to entry, I would ask you what is the barrier to entry?  I would argue to you that it is fans aren't really there to watch the individual talent however there to support the school.  If you argue it is to watch the talent, what is stopping someone from creating a pro league that allows hiring eighteen year olds (unlike the NBA) and taking the talent away from the NCAA schools?

[Tugg Speedman]

Don't mistake correlation for causation.  The NW unionization move had almost nothing to do with this.  This is a growing media spot light coming out of a whole BUNCH of things like the Miami penalties, PSU penalties, OBannon lawsuit, NW union, lots of quotes from current and former players, etc.

The NCAA is trying to move just enough to appease enough of the masses that they move on to some other pick fork topic.

I agree with you that the union vote is part of a greater movement.  I was rebutting Chicos idea that the NCAA came up with these ideas on their own and they had nothing to do pressure being exerted on them, from the union movement and other sources.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I was incorrect, 1996 was the first time this idea was pitched at the NCAA level....even longer than first stated.  Of course, for these things to become standard legislative policy, it has to be voted in on.  Tough going when you have so many different types of schools, small, large, poor, rich, that have different views on the subject.

Individual schools can always do what they wish, of course.

[Tugg Speedman]

I was incorrect, 1996 was the first time this idea was pitched at the NCAA level....even longer than first stated.  Of course, for these things to become standard legislative policy, it has to be voted in on.  Tough going when you have so many different types of schools, small, large, poor, rich, that have different views on the subject.

Individual schools can always do what they wish, of course.

The fact that it was first proposed 18 years ago proves my point.  They had no intention of ever doing it.  Only when the pressure of the union vote, lawsuits and public opinion came down on them did they buckle.

So it was not the NCAAs idea all on their own.  Things like the union vote are working in moving them.

[Tugg Speedman]

In practice, what does this even mean?

You still only get 4 years of eligibility. So does it just mean you can go to school there for free, forever? Like a masters degree and so forth?

How many athletes will do this? Sure, some will, but probably a very small minority. Seems like more of a PR stunt than anything else.

It means you have the rest of your life to complete your undergraduate degree, not just four years.

[Coleman]

It means you have the rest of your life to complete your undergraduate degree, not just four years.

But don't you have to be a full-time student to be eligible to play (unless you've already graduated)?

I don't see how this changes much, except that you might be able to take 12 credits a semester instead of 15 and take an extra semester to complete your degree, or if you're Dwyane Wade and want to come back and complete your degree, but honestly if you leave early for the draft its because you are making millions and a scholarship probably makes no difference to you. Wade could pay full freight and not think twice about it.

[GGGG]

But don't you have to be a full-time student to be eligible to play (unless you've already graduated)?

I don't see how this changes much, except that you might be able to take 12 credits a semester instead of 15 and take an extra semester to complete your degree, or if you're Dwyane Wade and want to come back and complete your degree, but honestly if you leave early for the draft its because you are making millions and a scholarship probably makes no difference to you. Wade could pay full freight and not think twice about it.

But Vander Blue????

[Coleman]

But Vander Blue????

Good call.

Even so, do you think he'd return if he couldn't play basketball?