Penn State Assistant Coach (Son of Joe) Jay Paterno gives you the nuts and bolts of what a student athlete at Penn State receives in return for the work on and off the field.
http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Resources/Latest+News/2011/June/Jay+Paterno+Pay+Student-Athletes+Theyre+Already+Getting+a+Great+Deal
ESPN's Jay Bilas retorts with this column which includes the following:
"Jay Paterno made an interesting case that a scholarship of room, board, tuition and books is a great deal for any college athlete and more than enough when compared to most of America. Paterno tacitly admits that compensating athletes is acceptable. He does not quarrel over the appropriateness of a scholarship; he simply quibbles over the amount.
Reasonable minds can differ, and I respectfully disagree with Paterno's stance.
Essentially, Paterno was telling college athletes, "Eat your vegetables without complaint because some kids are starving somewhere." That argument is one step up from my all-time favorite (as used by my pediatric dentist in the late 1960s), "Quit your crying, or I'll give you something to cry about."
Paterno believes the current scholarship is enough because "most of America" would gladly accept it. He is undoubtedly correct on that point.
But is our standard simply what "most of America" would accept? Taking such flawed logic to the extreme, Paterno makes a compelling case for limiting the compensation of college coaches.
Paterno makes hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary and benefits; has access to the best medical care for himself and his family (and moves to the front of the line to get it); has a car deal and a parking space; has access to free game tickets; receives athletic gear he can sell; can receive compensation to write books and speak at clinics; can receive worker's compensation; and, if fired, can apply for unemployment benefits.
Meanwhile, the median income in the State of Pennsylvania is just over $26,000 per year, and over 12 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Using the logic Paterno applies to athletes, he should have his salary cut by a multiple of 10 because others would gladly accept his job for much less."
http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog?name=bilas_jay&id=6672831
ESPN Hoops Analyst Doug Gottlieb agreed with Paterno and relates his own experiences as a student athlete.
"While many argue the unjustness of colleges profiting off of their athletes, they ignore the fact players often benefit from their schools after they leave. When you play big-time basketball or football, people want to hire you. You are a known commodity and, like the colleges, businesses too would like to profit from your presence -- and compensate you in kind. In truth, while colleges make money off the 18- to 22-year-olds for the years they are on campus, those same players live off the recognition of the school or coach they played for for the rest of their lives.
Another consideration: While on campus, schools provide their athletes with every possible aid to help them earn their degree. We so massively undervalue a college degree -- which can lead to increased earning potential in the professional world -- and overestimate the value of a couple of hundred dollars per month while in college, which may end up getting taxed anyway. That's why we need to step back and rethink the argument.
But even before the benefits comes access. Think about how many athletes, like myself, could not have even gotten into their institutions without their sporting skills. Coming out of Tustin High School I had a 3.7 GPA with an 1140 on my SAT (back when 1600 was a perfect score), yet that was enough to get into Notre Dame, where the average SAT score in my freshman class was 1350. I never could have gotten into ND, or Stanford (which told me I needed a 1000 on the SAT with my grades) without basketball. Then consider that Oklahoma State welcomed me after my issues at Notre Dame. I don't think OSU would have accepted me from junior college, if not for my athletic prowess. The same goes for bigger names like Cam Newton, who was facing expulsion at Florida for cheating when he left for junior college."
http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog?name=ncbexperts&id=6668400
Personally, I'm with Gottlieb and Paterno. There's no such thing as a hardship college football or basketball player.
Who's argument do you find the most compelling and sensible?
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