Is the NCAA Holding Back Student-Athletes?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the NCAA's treatment of student-athletes, particularly in relation to financial compensation and scholarships. Participants explore the implications of NCAA rules on athletes' ability to earn money from personal ventures, the nature of athletic scholarships in the U.S. versus Canada, and the financial dynamics of college sports programs.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants view the NCAA as a greedy organization that profits from student-athletes without fairly compensating them.
  • One participant expresses mixed feelings, acknowledging the injustice faced by athletes like Donald De La Haye while opposing the concept of athletic scholarships based solely on sports ability.
  • Another participant argues that while athletic scholarships exist in Canada, they are not as prevalent as in the U.S., and emphasizes that athletics should be treated as extracurricular activities.
  • There is a discussion about the financial structure of U.S. college athletics, with some participants noting that many athletic programs do not generate profits and are subsidized by university funds.
  • Concerns are raised about the limitations of full scholarships for athletes, with some participants suggesting that NCAA rules restrict athletes from receiving additional financial support.
  • Examples of Canadian schools offering athletic scholarships are provided, with some participants questioning the extent and nature of these scholarships.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the NCAA's policies and the nature of athletic scholarships, with no consensus reached on whether the current system is fair or effective. Disagreement exists regarding the comparison of athletic scholarship systems in Canada and the U.S.

Contextual Notes

Some participants highlight the complexity of financial support for athletes and the varying definitions of scholarships across different institutions. The discussion reflects differing cultural perspectives on the role of athletics in education.

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Nice provocative title!

Although I like a lot of sports, I think of the NCAA as a greedy organization that collects billions for non-athletes and screws the athletes.
 
I have mixed feelings about this whole saga. On the one hand, it is beyond dispute that what happened to Donald De La Haye by the NCAA was both ridiculous and unjust -- he was receiving money for his personal YouTube channel which has nothing to do with his performing football for his university!

On the other hand, I come from Canada, where university students do not receive sports scholarship (although Canadian students are eligible to receive sports scholarships to attend US schools), and I am personally opposed to the very notion of students receiving scholarships/grants solely (or primarily) based on athletic ability, as opposed to either academic ability or on financial need. I feel that athletics is a strictly extracurricular activity among students and should be treated as such by the schools -- one implication of which is that I don't think it's inherently troubling or unethical for students to be paid directly for their participation.
 
StatGuy2000 said:
On the other hand, I come from Canada, where university students do not receive sports scholarship (although Canadian students are eligible to receive sports scholarships to attend US schools), and I am personally opposed to the very notion of students receiving scholarships/grants solely (or primarily) based on athletic ability, as opposed to either academic ability or on financial need. I feel that athletics is a strictly extracurricular activity among students and should be treated as such by the schools -- one implication of which is that I don't think it's inherently troubling or unethical for students to be paid directly for their participation.

Canadian schools offer athletic scholarships - just not to the same extent as south of the border.

And not that I really pay much attention to American university sports, but they're a lot bigger down there than they are in Canada. Schools can rake in huge amounts of money from their major sports teams, hence their athletes are a major source of revenue. The athletes can't be compensated financially, but offering full scholarships is pretty reasonable. And of course, there's a trickle-down effect. The university can use that revenue to give to other students, or invest in its infrastructure and ultimately offer a better educational experience for all of its students.
 
Choppy said:
And of course, there's a trickle-down effect. The university can use that revenue to give to other students, or invest in its infrastructure and ultimately offer a better educational experience for all of its students.

My understanding of the actual situation in US college athletics is that the money that comes into athletics departments (through tickets and contributions) usually stays in the athletic departments. Sometimes the athletics departments are given additional money by various parts of the university (in about 3 of the 5 universities I have been at).

However, a strong athletic program will get people more interested in contributing money to non-athletic aspects of the university also.
Phil Knight contributing to the U of Oregon could be an example of this.
 
BillTre said:
Sometimes the athletics departments are given additional money by various parts of the university (in about 3 of the 5 universities I have been at).

In fact, according to an NCAA report a few years ago, only 24 of the 130 schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision (the "big boys") of NCAA Division I actually make a "profit" on their athletic programs, that is, those programs generate more than enough revenue to cover their costs. The rest are subsidized by general university funds.

http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources...partments-make-more-they-spend-still-minority

I expect the number of "profitable" programs is much smaller, or even non-existent, at smaller schools: Football Championship Subdivision of Division I; Division II; and Division III. For a description of these divisions, see here:

http://www.ncaa.org/about/who-we-ar...nces-and-history-multidivision-classification

However, a strong athletic program will get people more interested in contributing money to non-athletic aspects of the university also. Phil Knight contributing to the U of Oregon could be an example of this.

Most colleges and universities, even the state schools, and especially the smaller schools, depend on donations from alumni and other "friends" for a significant part of their budget. I would wager that more alumni remember their alma mater fondly (and are therefore inclined to donate to it) for its social aspects (including athletics) than for its physics labs. :rolleyes:
 
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Choppy said:
Canadian schools offer athletic scholarships - just not to the same extent as south of the border.

Canadian schools offer athletic scholarships? Really?? :confused: I have never heard of any schools in Canada offering athletic scholarships before.
 
Choppy said:
Schools can rake in huge amounts of money from their major sports teams, hence their athletes are a major source of revenue. The athletes can't be compensated financially, but offering full scholarships is pretty reasonable.
According to the stats in this article, full scholarships are of limited value. Plus, according to my understanding, athletes are generally forbidden from receiving anything other than the scholarship. If someone were to buy an athlete dinner or give him or her money for food, that would be a violation of the NCAA's rules.
 
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Choppy said:
I had the good fortune o0) of living with a few student athletes as an undergrad.

Some examples of financial support offered at Canadian schools:
University of Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas
University of Calgary Dinos
McMaster Marauders
McGill Redmen
University of Toronto Varsity Blues
UBC Thunderbirds

I saw that my alma mater (University of Toronto) do offer something akin to an athletic scholarship, but still place a major emphasis on academic achievement (for example, students still need an entering average of 80% or greater, and a GPA while in school of 2.50 or greater.
 

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