College Sports = Extended Slavery

[silverback]

Forgive what looks like a click bait headline, but that's the thesis...

The current NCAA football & basketball system (especially in the American South) is an extension of slavery – young, black athletes used for entertainment & then discarded.

That's my take at Ozy – and it seemed a good time to bring in some MU voices from the past.

Discuss...

https://www.ozy.com/acumen/win-or-lose-college-sports-are-still-failing-black-athletes/97031/ #college #racism #StudentAthlete

[tower912]

This should be fun.    Although this topic has been debated ad nauseum, this is indeed a different angle.   

[brewcity77]

[MU82]

I enjoyed the read, and it was nice seeing a guy who has coached at multiple levels acknowledge the obvious.

Otherwise ...  IBTL.

[The Lens]

Forget paying athletes, or even letting them benefit off their likeness, the change that should be instituted ASAP is nearly unconditional access to a degree for as long as it takes. 

[THRILLHO]

[Uncle Rico]

Seton Hall sucks

[Boozemon Barro]

Slavery isn't how I would describe it since the athletes can walk away at any time. The NCAA and it's member universities do act like a cartel when it comes to how they treat their labor.

[Nukem2]

Forget paying athletes, or even letting them benefit off their likeness, the change that should be instituted ASAP is nearly unconditional access to a degree for as long as it takes.

Do "regular" students on scholarship get that kind of access if they leave school?

[duanewade]

Although Marquette and the whole system has many flaws I am proud at the great lengths Marquette goes to in educating their athletes and making sure they graduate. 

[tower912]

Do "regular" students on scholarship get that kind of access if they leave school?

Do regular students on scholarship generate revenue for the school?

[TheyWereCones]

I can't believe we have to go here again but explain to me how this is slavery when no one is forcing anyone to do anything?

[Nukem2]

Do regular students on scholarship generate revenue for the school?

Well, the schools do provide the platform for the revenue.  If the schools stopped sponsoring sports, many of these young people (unless their academics were very good) would never get scholarships, room & board, stipends, travel, academic assistance, etc. and likely never get a degree (or even attend college) and not have the opportunity to show their athletic skills.  Other than those few elite (S)As who likely will end up in the NFL or NBA or MLB, most SAs are being provided the opportunity of a lifetime that they could not possibly dream about on their own. 

PS, did Duke/ACC/NCAA/ESPN/Etc. generate any more revenue than they would have because of Zion Williamson?  Kind of a zero sum game. Again the platform is provided for the SAs.

[TheGym]

I can't believe we have to go here again but explain to me how this is slavery when no one is forcing anyone to do anything?

It is not (or any where close), the use of the term slavery is a means to generate a reaction.  To put it in the same class as the NCAA diminishes the atrocities of slavery.

[MU82]

I can't believe we have to go here again but explain to me how this is slavery when no one is forcing anyone to do anything?

I agree about the use of words like "slavery" and "lynching" when they are inaccurate. They are such highly charged words, and the points in that article would have been made just fine without that language.

[Marcus92]

Graduating just 67% of athletes is pitiful -- and that's cited as one of the best graduation rates in the P5. I'm not surprised to learn that the SEC has such a poor record in this regard.

[Boozemon Barro]

I agree about the use of words like "slavery" and "lynching" when they are inaccurate. They are such highly charged words, and the points in that article would have been made just fine without that language.

I didn't see those words in the article. In what context are the players being lynched?

[dgies9156]

When you strip away the hype, there is a legitimate concern about what happens to high profile student athletes whose eligibility ends.

I'm extremely proud of the fact that our Marquette Warriors almost always have graduated. When Coach McGuire was our head coach, we always kept the door open for MU Athletes to return for their degrees. As a result, I think all but maybe two were graduated and even of those two, at least one came back. This is still our university's commitment and we should be proud of it.

For the NCAA at large, there are two questions:

1) Is a school lowering its admissions standards to admit college athletes in big time sports. If you're a university where your average ACT score is 30 or so and your athletes have a 19-21, (ahem... cough... Illinois) it's going to be tough to stay afloat. The kids will stay afloat long enough to be eligible by getting degrees in Horton Row-like classes but their degree, other than the name, is worthless.

2) So you get your degree in Underwater Basketweaving. Now what? Do you have a discernable skill worthy of the workforce?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XEq6XYtMVU

[GooooMarquette]

Stupid analogy. Slaves never had a choice to walk away like college athletes do.

IBTL.

[Billy Hoyle]

Forget paying athletes, or even letting them benefit off their likeness, the change that should be instituted ASAP is nearly unconditional access to a degree for as long as it takes.

that's already been implemented at the Power 5 schools and other schools have followed suit. And there was always degree completion funding from the NCAA which schools could apply for.

And, while I may have only minored in history I am pretty sure individuals didn't sign up voluntarily to be slaves and didn't receive the benefits student-athletes get (other than housing). They certainly didn't get thousands of dollars worth of Nike gear and travel, in some cases, all over the world (well, after that first boat ride). 

Additionally, all of these "slavery" articles focus on the elite programs and kids who are going pro. Nobody talks about the 300+ other colleges that are providing an education to kids who may not have been able to afford a college education and will not go pro.  Many of the kids going to schools like Lehigh, Pepperdine, Boston U, Belmont, Loyola Chicago and Marymount are at the schools to play ball and get an education and it's an opportunity sports has provided them.

[Boozemon Barro]

When you strip away the hype, there is a legitimate concern about what happens to high profile student athletes whose eligibility ends.

I'm extremely proud of the fact that our Marquette Warriors almost always have graduated. When Coach McGuire was our head coach, we always kept the door open for MU Athletes to return for their degrees. As a result, I think all but maybe two were graduated and even of those two, at least one came back. This is still our university's commitment and we should be proud of it.

For the NCAA at large, there are two questions:

1) Is a school lowering its admissions standards to admit college athletes in big time sports. If you're a university where your average ACT score is 30 or so and your athletes have a 19-21, (ahem... cough... Illinois) it's going to be tough to stay afloat. The kids will stay afloat long enough to be eligible by getting degrees in Horton Row-like classes but their degree, other than the name, is worthless.

2) So you get your degree in Underwater Basketweaving. Now what? Do you have a discernable skill worthy of the workforce?

I'm of the opinion that the athletes shouldn't need to go to school, since playing their sport is basically a full time job. I think they should be given the option for tuition vouchers to attend school after their playing days are over and they aren't so busy with sports. I'm guessing academic eligibility requirements are needed to keep up the appearance of student athletes rather than employees.

[Marcus92]

Graduation rates are a much bigger deal than paying athletes or allowing them to profit from their likeness. That's not an argument against either of those issues. But the lifetime value of a college degree is far higher -- potentially adding millions more in career earnings than a high school diploma. Even compensating college players at a G-League level ($35,000 a year) pales in comparison.

https://www.fool.com/calculators/how-much-is-a-college-degree-worth.aspx#results

[Jockey]

Forget paying athletes, or even letting them benefit off their likeness, the change that should be instituted ASAP is nearly unconditional access to a degree for as long as it takes.

I'm not saying this is a bad idea, but most guys that leave school early weren't even in college to get a degree. It was just the easiest path to achieve their dreams of making it to the NBA, NFL, etc.

[The Sultan]

Thesis: The NCAA tournament, with its "one loss and you're out system," is essentially like the Holocaust.

Discuss.