Player stipends will only lead to more corruption

Any other off-season college football fans would be complaining about a lack of the playoffs. However, the nation received a six-month early Christmas gift when the NCAA ditched the BCS for a four-team playoff. Without wasting any time, let’s argue about the next big thing college football is lacking.

Player stipends.

Yeah, this is a fun one. Should student-athletes receive some compensation for making their schools richer? Well compensation, that the NCAA would actually know about it.

In a sense, I agree that players deserve some reward for all the contributions they make to the school through their performance in their respective sport. However, player stipends will only lead to more corruption in collegiate sports. If you start giving money to student-athletes who are already getting their education payed for them, then is it plausible a college football lockout could be realistic fear in the future?

Also, would you pay each player the same amount of money like a true stipend? Or would you have a salary cap and make payments based on contracts?

This may seem crazy to some, but stipends are a gateway to potentially bad things for collegiate sports. If a collegiate athlete is good enough to get to and excel at the next level, he’ll probably be payed back in the professional ranks. However, why should universities waste money on guys who could be total bums in a few years?

It’s clear the new four-team playoff will bring in more money, but wouldn’t it be wise to use that money on things like facilities and coaching staffs that will help student-athletes to achieve their goals of getting to the pros?

Also, if a player is underachieving in his sport, they have a FULL RIDE in college. I know a lot of D-1 guys just to go to school to play football or basketball, but you know what’s better than working the Arena Football circuit in your late 20’s? Getting a degree, landing a stable career, and supporting your family.

Although, it is fun to imagine a world with player stipends. It could entice more student-athletes to stay in school for all four years. Which I’d be all about, because the NCAA really needs to do something about all the one-and-done’s.

I’m not saying player stipends would never work. However, I see it potentially as a Pandora’s box that should not be opened. It would create more problems than answers.

Though, I do think it’s a bit wrong student-athletes see their jersey getting sold or likeness used in a video game; but do they get any payment for it? Not a dime. If there was a way to somehow reward student-athletes for having a popular jersey or used in a top-selling EA Sports game, that’d be awesome.

However, for now, be content with your playoff, college football fans. Be content that basketball players have to go to school for at least one year. Stipends would be nice, but they just seem too problematic.