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Get Scouted Scouting CareersDI Members Will Be Pinched to Make it Happen, Though
It’s coming, finally. News has hit the street that NCAA embattled president Mark Emmert is making preparations to deliver a proposal to NCAA DI institutions that they increase the amount of athletic grants by two thousand dollars to “to more closely approach the full cost of attending college beyond the athletic scholarships athletes receive for tuition, fees, room, board and books.” Not exactly a novel concept, to be sure, but one which will present member institutions with something to chew on, nonetheless.Why now, you might ask? Well, for one thing there has been a rash of problems associated with NCAA DI athletes which revolve around money, or the lack thereof. The list seems endless from the Cam Newton pay-for-play scandal between his father and whistle blower Mississippi State. Tennessee basketball players robbing a convenient store for cash. North Carolina football players taking gifts and trips from former players. Miami football players being accused of taking cash for play by a program supporter. Ohio State football players trading paraphernalia for tattoos and cash. Need we go on?
While some would argue that these are extreme cases, they still point to a disparity in compensation to athletes at DI programs where the opportunities for athletes to make money honestly outside of their all-consuming team duties and obligations are severely limited. If they do not have parents that within NCAA rules can provide continuous financial support, the athletes are caught in a Catch 22 of sorts. Yes, their scholarships are worth a lot of money in terms of the educations they receive and post-grad job opportunities, but meanwhile many athletes do not have a nickel to their names to engage in basic social activities or to buy a meal away from the chow line.
Then, there’s the colleges’ viewpoint which is valid, too. In this economy, where will the added money come from without making other related or non-related college programs suffer? They could eliminate a non-revenue-generating sport or two. They could cut peripheral support staff. Or they could raise fees to the general student body, among other options. None of these is acceptable on the surface, but the added bucks will not come floating down from the sky, yet someone is bound to suffer. That’s for certain, that is, if Mr. Emmert is to have his way.
The NCAA is tired of chasing rule breakers. It’s weary of trying to get athletes to follow regs without many of these same athletes having the financial means to do the right thing or make the correct decisions. Okay, some of the problems are character based and perhaps those athletes would have figured out other ways to do stupid things. However, if the NCAA is trying to create a level playing field in all other things, they really need to make allowances, pun intended, to establish off-the-field equity as well.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/10/24/sports/s083759D86.DTL#ixzz1bjFWZaf8
National Scouting Report is dedicated to finding scholarship opportunities for athletes who possess the talent, desire, and motivation to compete at the collegiate level. We’ve helped connect thousands of athletes with their perfect college.