ESPN on college sports: Paying players might create havoc

[alp227]

Ivan Maisel criticizes the idea of paying salaries to college athletes:

Classic amateurism is just about confined to golf these days. The NCAA long ago allowed student-athletes to turn professional in one sport while retaining their eligibility in another. In recent years, the NCAA has established funds to provide basic necessities for student-athletes in need. So what if the NCAA controls the money? The NCAA still hands it out.

They already pay them as much as $250,000 in tuition, room, board, books, fees, medical care, physical training, tutoring and trinkets that can be traded for tattoos.

But move beyond that. Pay the players who fill those six-figure stadiums. Pay the athletes who promote the brand of the alma mater. Pay the female athletes, too, because who needs a lawsuit? Work out your budget. Feel magnanimous about putting more money in the pockets of student-athletes.

If they are employees, some or all of the athletic scholarships they receive might be taxed as income.

If they are employees, they might unionize.

If they are employees, the university, as the employer, might be responsible for any tort -- a wrongful act resulting in an injury worthy of compensation -- committed by them.

Judges might change their attitude. So, too, might the Internal Revenue Service. If athletes are employees, the university's educational mission might be called to account for tax purposes, too. The profits generated by the athletic department might be classified as unrelated business income and subject to taxation at corporate rates.

At the very least, universities would be hiring accountants at the rate that football coaches hire quality control assistants. Unlike the latter, accountants are not cheap.

The top comment on this article, with which I agree:

Let players accept endorsements!!!!!
Universities are already using players to market their schools (Tebow) and in video games.

[TheDebbieDee]

1. These colleges profit to the tune of millions of dollars

because of the talents of these young people. A full ride scholarship is just a drop in the bucket for these institutes of higher learning.......

And that's all I have to say about that!

[provis99]

2. college should simply hire professional atheletes; just not let them be students.

Problem solved.