Highbrow Magazine - college football https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/college-football en Cashing in on College Athletics https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3439-cashing-college-athletics <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Mon, 01/13/2014 - 09:13</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1collegeathletes%20%28JMR%20Photography%20Flickr%29_0.jpg?itok=TpFZrHAR"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1collegeathletes%20%28JMR%20Photography%20Flickr%29_0.jpg?itok=TpFZrHAR" width="480" height="320" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>From our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/01/cashing-in-on-college-athletics.php">New America Media</a>:</p> <p> </p> <p>PASADENA, Calif. – The lucrative college football bowl season has just ended but the basketball tournament dubbed “March Madness” is near, guaranteeing that collegiate sports will generate big income from games early in 2014.</p> <p> </p> <p>However, this year will also usher in another contest – and the outcome of this match could radically reshape a financial system that generates priceless promotions for corporations and billions of dollars for universities and television networks.</p> <p> </p> <p>Consider the stakes in U.S. college football and basketball, the premier generators of amateur sports wealth in a world dominated by professional sports leagues. In accounting math, college football and basketball equal big broadcast contracts, tremendous revenue from ticket sales, massive merchandising and deals and the licensing of images of college athletes to video game manufacturers. Also, college football produces gushers of cash in corporate sponsorships for the big gridiron bowl games.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Green with Pride</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Out-of-town visitors to the Rose Bowl and Tournament of Roses Parade generate $140 million in spending, according a recent report by Micronomics, a Los Angeles-based research and consulting company.</p> <p> </p> <p>That’s a lot of green - and the same can be said about the number of green-clad alumni and fans who arrived in Southern California to show their support for the Michigan State University (MSU) Spartans in the 100th Rose Bowl game in Pasadena on Jan. 1.</p> <p> </p> <p>Such fan support is one reason college football is so lucrative. Alumni fellowship is part of the appeal because college sports bring together people across lines of age, class and race, said Stephanie Harris-Byers, president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Michigan State University Black Alumni.</p> <p> </p> <p>“It’s a beautiful thing,” said Harris-Byers.</p> <p> </p> <p>Many MSU fans who wanted to attend the game faced a challenge when the university quickly sold their allotment of 24,000 tickets in December. Tickets broker agencies were selling individual tickets with a face value of $150 to $185 for a minimum of $400 and as high as $1,000 or more. Considering the high ticket prices, there was uncertainty about how many Spartan fans would attend.</p> <p> </p> <p>An MSU pep rally in Los Angeles the day before the game was an indicator. MSU officials expected 10,000 at the rally but about 27,000 attended. Michigan residents Kristin Glovac, her mother and her grandmother - all MSU grads - were among those at the pep rally.</p> <p> </p> <p>“Michigan State played in its last Rose Bowl in 1988,” said Kristin Glovac. “I was only six months old at that time. I’ve been waiting my whole life for this game.”</p> <p> </p> <p>An estimated 60,000 green-attired MSU fans attended the Rose Bowl game, demonstrating the willingness of fans to spend heavily on college sports.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/2collegeathletes%20%28Corey%20C%20Flickr%29_0.jpg" style="height:310px; width:600px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Litigation</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>But the very college athletes who are generating big profits for schools and businesses are barred – under the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) own rules – from receiving any compensation. In the last few years, a handful of former college athletes, including notable football and basketball stars, have come out to denounce the inequity, saying they should share in the wealth they are producing. Former UCLA standout Ed O’Bannon became the face for the movement when he filed an anti-trust lawsuit against the NCAA in 2009 for profits made from his image in advertisements and video games.</p> <p> </p> <p>The college athletes who generate revenue in all sports will be compensated for the first time in the 107-year history of the NCAA if O’Bannon wins his lawsuit (<em>O’Bannon vs. NCAA</em>). The litigation is in the spotlight again, because the case is expected to go to court in June, and because more and more media commentators, scholars and law professors are siding with the athletes and calling for reforms.</p> <p> </p> <p>“While the NCAA, its member conferences and schools, and its for-profit business partners reap millions of dollars from revenue streams ... former student athletes whose likenesses are utilized to generate those profit centers receive no compensation whatsoever," the suit says.</p> <p> </p> <p>A court recently ruled that the case cannot proceed as a class-action suit and that athletes would have to sue individually. However, if the court rules in favor of O’Bannon, the judge is expected to establish a remedy that would affect all former and current athletes.</p> <p> </p> <p>Regardless of the outcome, the lawsuit has prompted some action: EA Sports and Collegiate Licensing Company agreed in September to a $40 million settlement for using images of former athletes on their annual college football video game. EA also agreed to stop producing the game.</p> <p> </p> <p>That development and other matters relating to the case have been closely covered by black-owned media partly because African-American athletes outnumber whites in Division I college football and basketball. Some of that coverage has framed the litigation as a civil rights issue. Some reports have cited the comments of civil rights scholar Taylor Branch, who has called NCAA sports a “plantation” system.</p> <p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/3collegeathletes%20%28Matt%20Britt00%20Flickr%29_0.jpg" style="height:450px; width:600px" /></p> <p>For example, the issue has been fodder for journalist Roland Martin, who has talked about the issue on his show on the black-owned TV One network. He made the following comment in his syndicated column.</p> <p> </p> <p>“There is nothing more powerful than seeing athletes, not lawyers or journalists, standing up and singing that familiar civil rights anthem, ‘I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on freedom!’”</p> <p> </p> <p>The mainstream media is also closely covering the case partly because more and more thought leaders on sports issues – ESPN’s Jay Billus and National Public Radio commentator Frank Deford among them – have said college athletes are employees and deserve to be paid.</p> <p> </p> <p>More and more legal scholars are coming to the same conclusion. In a paper in the <em>Washington Law Review</em>, Robert and Amy McCormick, married Michigan State University law professors, referenced the National Labor Relations Act, which governs private-sector labor relations.</p> <p> </p> <p>”In short,” the paper says, “the relationship between the university and the scholarship athlete is that of employer and employee. Employers pay their employees in exchange for services. Universities likewise award grants-in-aid to athletes in exchange for the athletes’ services in their sports.”</p> <p> </p> <p>The NCAA, which had refused direct comment on the suit because of the ongoing litigation, issued a statement when it asked a court to dismiss the case.</p> <p> </p> <p>"The NCAA's rules do not force athletes who wish to be professionals to enroll in school. Instead, the [O’Bannon suit seeks] to professionalize a few college athletes, which would lead to a reduction in athletic and educational opportunities for the vast majority of male and female student-athletes who pursue Division I, II and III athletics."</p> <p> </p> <p>The dispute is also back in the news in the wake of the recent bowl season. The 35 bowl games staged last year generated $445.6 million. Of that total, the bowls distributed $300.8 million to the collegiate conferences. The financial haul from the most recent spate of bowl games is expected to exceed last year’s totals.</p> <p> </p> <p>The biggest bowl money-makers are the five games sanctioned by the Bowl Champion Series (BCS), a system created in 1998 to select two teams to play in a championship game. The BCS games are played by the nation’s top-ranked teams and carry the names of their sponsors – the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the Discover Orange Bowl, the Rose Bowl presented by VISIO. The final game of the season has been the VISIO BCS National Championship, pitting the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams.</p> <p> </p> <p>However, the BCS system will be replaced next year with a four-team playoff series. The playoffs, which will give more teams an opportunity to compete for the national championship, are designed to create more fan interest and even more revenue. However, if the O’Bannon suit is successful, the current college sports business model – like the BCS – will come to an end.</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/01/cashing-in-on-college-athletics.php">New America Media</a></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/college-athletes" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">college athletes</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/college-sports" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">college sports</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/sports" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">sports</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/football" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">football</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/basketball" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">basketball</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/college-basketball" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">college basketball</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/march-madness" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">march madness</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/college-football" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">college football</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/athelete-salaries" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">athelete salaries</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/o-bannon" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">o bannon</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">George White</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">JMR Photography (Flickr); Corey C (Flickr); Matt Britt00 (Flickr)</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Mon, 13 Jan 2014 14:13:22 +0000 tara 4106 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3439-cashing-college-athletics#comments Should College Athletes Be Paid? https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/2690-should-college-athletes-be-paid <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Mon, 08/12/2013 - 10:37</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1collegeathletes%20%28JMR%20Photography%20Flickr%29.jpg?itok=xflaXxJg"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1collegeathletes%20%28JMR%20Photography%20Flickr%29.jpg?itok=xflaXxJg" width="480" height="320" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> "To pay, to not to pay?" That is the question many have been asking about student athletes. As the records for professional athlete salaries begin to soar, and as more and more reports of multimillion dollar deals being made within the NCAA every year, the question that usually arises is, “Why aren’t the college athletes seeing any of this money?” NCAA President Mark Emmert stated in the <em>Wall Street Journal</em> in January of 2012 that paying student athletes is “a terrible idea.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> In February of this year, <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2013/02/12/alabama-football-players-arrested-on-robbery-charges/1912299/">USA Today</a> reported that four Alabama football players were suspended indefinitely after being arrested for second-degree robbery. Clearly, these students deserve to be punished to the full extent of the law, but one must examine the situation more closely. College athletes being charged with petty theft has become a continual problem in athletics. This particular incident came shortly over a month after Alabama University competed in the BCS National Championship game, for which each school was rewarded millions of dollars.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Chris Smith of <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2013/01/07/the-money-behind-the-bcs-national-championship/">Forbes</a> reported that Alabama University is now worth $95 million. With all of this money flying over the heads of the players, the motive of such crimes is not justified but certainly realized. Another example is that of college basketball player Jamar Samuels. In March of 2012, Tim Keown of <a href="http://espn.go.com/espn/commentary/story/_/page/keown-120320/jamar-samuels-suspension-kansas-state-tournament-game-more-ncaa-hypocrisy">ESPN</a> reported that Kansas State’s senior forward Jamar Samuels was suspended for receiving $200 from his summer league coach, Curtis Malone. When coach Malone was asked about the wire transfer, he said, "The kid's family doesn't have anything and he called me for money to eat," according to <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/17869425/kansas-states-samuels-suspended-for-200-wire-from-summer-league-coach">CBSSports.com</a>. “The kid didn't do anything wrong."</p> <p>  </p> <p> That year, March Madness generated $1 billion dollars in ad sales. That’s more than the playoff and championship series for the MLB, the NFL, the NBA, and the NHL. In fact, in April of 2010, <a href="http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2010/04/22/time-warner-joins-cbs-billion-march-madness-tv-deal/">FoxBusinessNews.com</a> reported that CBS and Turner Broadcasting signed a $10.8 billion deal to televise March Madness over the course of 14 years. If someone were to say that Lebron James had to borrow money to feed his family the night before the NBA Finals began, fans would be appalled, so why the distinction with a basketball tournament that generates more revenue? In 2010, the SEC became the first college conference that surpassed a billion dollars in athletic receipts. Some of that money comes from ticket sales and merchandising, but a great deal of it comes from television and media contracts.</p> <p>  </p> <p> College athletes don't exactly play for free, however. They receive free education, free tutoring, and have the opportunity to be trained by the most talented college coaching staff at the collegiate level. <a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/collegebasketball/story/jason-whitlock-paying-college-athletes-can-work-if-you-follow-these-steps-041013">FoxSports.com</a>’s Jason Whitlock quoted Oklahoma’s head football coach Bob Stoops stating, “I don’t get why people say these guys don’t get paid. It’s simple, they are paid quite often, quite a bit and quite handsomely.” But is this a fair trade? Many, like Stoops, argue that most college students live below the poverty line, and that paying college athletes would be unfair and unethical considering how much they already gain from playing at a collegiate level.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Though it is true that, statistically, most college students live in poverty, most college students aren’t direct contributors to sports that generate millions of dollars for their school. It should also be noted that the <a href="http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/6993945/oklahoma-gives-coach-bob-stoops-7-year-extension-worth-345m">Associated Press</a> reported in 2011 that Oklahoma gave Bob Stoops a contract extension for $34.5 million through 2018, while <a href="http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/2006/snapshots/2.html">CNN</a> reported that college professors make an average of $81,000 a year. Also, there are several programs, such as <a href="http://www.ewylonline.com/">Earn As You Learn</a>, that allow students to take on jobs that are directly related to the career they plan to pursue. If a college athlete’s career goal is to play professional sports, shouldn’t they be entitled to a similar program?</p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/2collegeathletes%20%28Corey%20C%20Flickr%29.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 310px;" /></p> <p> Though most college athletes enjoy the financial cushion of a full scholarship, the <a href="http://assets.usw.org/ncpa/The-Price-of-Poverty-in-Big-Time-College-Sport.pdf">National College Player's Association</a> reported this year that 86 percent of college athletes live in poverty. The study showed that the average full-scholarship student athlete suffers an approximate $3,200 shortfall over the coarse of one semester. As the students fall into this deficit, collegiate sports become a larger commodity and more million-dollar advertising and television contracts are awarded to colleges.</p> <p>  </p> <p> NCPA President Ramogi Huma said in a prepared statement in the study that "We all know that big-time football and basketball players receive much less than they are worth, but the disparity between players' fair market value, what they receive, and the money that others receive is shocking." The NCPA reported that the fair market value for the average Football Bowl Subdivision is more than $120,000. Specifically for Duke basketball players, the fair market value per player is an astounding $1,025,656. Unfortunately, according to the Summary of NCAA Regulations, athletes are not eligible to earn revenue of any kind from their participation in a sport.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Although the full athletic scholarships that many college athletes enjoy should not be overlooked, it also should be noted that the education the students receive is not a form of currency. These students are, essentially, employees for a billion-dollar business, but they don’t get paid. Also, many college athletes only attend college to become professional athletes.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Paying college athletes the same as professional athletes raises many concerns. NCAA President Mark Emmert stated in January of 2012 that paying college athletes would only increase the incentive to bribe athletes to attend a specific school or help them cheat, which is currently a persistent problem within the organization. The only logical conclusion would be to periodically give more money to full-scholarship student athletes to compensate the out-of-pocket expenses that are driving these students into poverty in the first place.</p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/3collegeathletes%20%28Matt%20Britt00%20Flickr%29.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 450px;" /></p> <p> Obviously, not every school’s athletic department has the budget to pay students. However, those that are solely responsible for generating the staggering amount of money (namely, the Division I schools) could be given more money to help the college athletes who require financial assistance the most. In 2011, the <a href="http://www.ncaa.com/news/ncaa/article/2012-01-15/board-reaffirms-support-allowance">NCAA</a> reported that they were attempting to implement a new rule allowing Division I institutions to give some student athletes an additional $2,000 miscellaneous expense allowance, but there has been no new proposals for consideration on the issue, and the law has been suspended and delayed so much that it will likely not be put into practice in the 2013-14 academic year as planned.</p> <p>  </p> <p> While many patiently wait for the other shoe to drop, some college students aren’t feeling as virtuous. <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/screen-play/2013/jul/19/six-active-ncaa-football-players-join-obannon-laws/">The Washington Times</a> reported that former college athlete Ed O’Bannon and six other active college athletes have filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and are seeking class-action status. The suit claims that the NCAA engaged in a “conspiracy” to refuse payment to current and former college athletes for using their likenesses and names. Peter Berkes of SBNation reported that the NCAA is letting their contract expire with EA sports in light of the recent suit, which is gaining more attention every day. The NCAA chose to sever ties with the video game company, with whom they have had a fiscally healthy relationship since 1998. According to a <a href="http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/sports/2013-07-19/ncaa-ea-sports-to-end-relationship/1772023.html">spokesman</a> for NPD Group Inc., the NCAA football game has generated more than $1.3 billion in that time span. The timing seems conspicuous, but the NCAA mentioned in its <a href="http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Resources/Latest+News/2013/July/NCAA+will+not+renew+EA+Sports+contract">official statement</a> that their “timing is based on the need to provide EA notice for future planning.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> Only time will tell if the new miscellaneous expense allowance rule, or one like it, will go through in the near future. But one can only hope that the NCAA will figure out a way to implement a system to financially help student athletes who need it the most.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Highbrow Magazine</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> <em><strong>Photos: </strong><strong>JMR Photography (Flickr); Corey C. (Flickr); Matt Britt00 (Flick).</strong></em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/college-athletes" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">college athletes</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/sports" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">sports</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/lebron-james" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">lebron james</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/athlete-salaries" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">athlete salaries</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/college-football" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">college football</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/college-basketball" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">college basketball</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/march-madness" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">march madness</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/college-sports" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">college sports</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/financial-aid" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">financial aid</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/college-coaches" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">college coaches</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/nba" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">NBA</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/nfl" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">NFL</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Alex LaFosta</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">JMR Photography (Flickr)</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Mon, 12 Aug 2013 14:37:02 +0000 tara 3330 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/2690-should-college-athletes-be-paid#comments