Sports

From College News - 23 million people tuned in to the championship game

March Madness has always been, and always will be, a cash cow for whichever network has the rights to broadcast the action on TV. College basketball is popular on its own, to be sure, but March Madness brings out fans like very few sports events can.

For a few weeks in March, everyone cares about college basketball. This March, it was no different. The tournament had its fair share of great moments; Wichita State upset higher-seeded teams like Ohio State and Gonzaga; underdog Florida Gulf Coast went farther than anyone on earth thought they could; Trey Burke’s 30-foot three pointer in the waning seconds of Michigan’s game was exactly the kind of buzzerbeater people watch the tournament for.

But the real winner this year was the networks that hosted the tournament. This year’s championship game drew a viewership total of 23.4 million, a 12 percent increase from last year, according to CBS. As a whole, the tournament on any given day averaged 10.7 million viewers; that’s an 11 percent increase from last year and the highest average total in 19 years, according to Bloomberg.

CBS paid $10.8 billion for the rights to March Madness through 2024. Right now, that investment is looking priceless. For the fourth straight year, CBS stocks rose sharply due to tournament viewership totals; this year, the network’s stock rose 7.6 percent in March. CBS and its sister networks (TruTV, TBS, TNT) aired 67 games in total and recorded more than $1 billion in ad revenue.

Not bad for less than a month’s worth of work.

Interestingly, the relationship between networks and sports are getting cozier by the minute. ESPN, TBS and FOX are paying Major League Baseball a total of $12.4 billion worth of TV contracts. ESPN will pay the NCAA $7 billion just to air the college football playoffs. Time Warner Cable is considering creating an entire network around the Los Angeles Dodgers, which would cost $8 billion over 25 years.

It may cost a lot to buy the rights to air these sports. But for the networks, these events are truly priceless.

The national college football season is in full swing, with stadiums boasting attendance in the six figures — and that’s just the fans who actually get into the stadium! For the rest, the game day doesn’t necessarily have to include tickets because there’s always a lot of beer, food and fun to be had while tailgating.

Tailgating is an American sporting pastime, and according to Tailgater Monthly , it's becoming “America’s fastest growing sport.” Perhaps calling tailgating a sport is a bit of a stretch, but when you think of all the calories burned trying to digest all the calories you’re taking in, you can see how it can really take some strength and endurance!

 

From beer pong to barbecue and banner marches to bratwurst-eating competitions, tailgating adds another dimension to college football game day. Let’s take a look at five of the best colleges for tailgating:

 

1. University of Wisconsin - Madison, Wisconsin

The land of cheese and beer goes all in for game day. The Badgers know how to party and do not make any apologizes for it. The event starts first thing in the morning with games of beer pong, and continue well after the last touchdown. At th University of Wisconsin at Madison, you can always find some bratwurst to be had with a great local beer.

 

2. Penn State - University Park, Pennsylvania

The Nittany Lions are one of the most storied teams of college sports, boasting the most wins in Big 10 college sports and the second-largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere, with a total seating of 107,282. To get the best seats in this very large house, a tent-city tradition has been honored for years by students looking for primo tickets. It is not known as the rowdiest of tailgating scenes, but it does offer a hometown feel that is unique.

 

3. Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The LSU Tigers’ tailgating scene has some of the most unique and regional food options available. The aromas of barbecued catfish and craw daddies, hot jambalaya and other Cajun delicacies fill the parking lot. With this being Louisiana, expect large numbers of eccentric characters and costumed fans. Most of the college’s home games are also played at night, adding another dimension to the party.

 

4. University of South California - Los Angeles, California

For a city that doesn’t have its own professional football team, the USC Trojans sure do make up for it. The diversity of Los Angeles brings out endless food and drink options, from burritos to burgers. And with it being so close to Hollywood, it's common to see celebrities come down to enjoy their own tailgating experiences.

 

5. Auburn University - Auburn, Alabama

The tigers of Auburn have a loyal fan base that camps out along the streets leading into town in the days leading up to game day. The school also has a tradition held over from the 1960s called "The Tiger Walk," where the players walk through the fan base to the stadium before the game. The atmosphere is known for its great food and Southern hospitality.

By Sarah Fudin -- she works in community relations for University of Southern California Rossier School of Education's online masters programs.  USC Rossier Online teaches aspiring teachers how to become a teacher and provides the opportunity to earn a Masters of Education.  Outside of work Sarah enjoys running, reading and Pinkberry frozen yogurt. 

It's the fall semester of a new school year, and college sports are in full swing. Although there are plenty of great college sports to follow, almost the entire country gets swept up in the top divisions of college football and basketball. Need some proof? Some college football stadiums are filled and attended by as many as 90,000 people per game, and there is the traditional annual announcement of President Obama’s bracket picks for the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) basketball championships.

Whether it is state or regional pride, alumni loyalty or the admiration of heart and dedication displayed by college athletes, there is no doubt that the country is in love with its college sports. In case you are a new fan or are trying to dedicate yourself as a more spirited spectator, here are five tips for getting the most out of your college’s sports:

1. Become a Fan -- Choosing a school to root for should be as easy as showing up on orientation day. Perhaps you grew up rooting for a parent’s or sibling’s alma mater, but unless you followed in their footsteps, your school should probably be your team. But there is the question of how college teams are divided up and rated. For this, you can check out this introduction to college sports. It will give you the basics of the NCAA and its conferences, as well as the basics of college football and basketball.

2. Follow Teams -- Learning the names of every member of a team’s roster isn’t necessary for following your team. But you will want to keep up to date on which teams they will be playing in the future and also what their current record is for the season. For this, you can go to your team's website, check the school paper or even watch some ESPN.

3. Go to Games -- This is your chance to be a spectator of the spectacle! Going to your school’s stadium on game day is a major regional event. Alumni and fans from all over come into town wearing their colors to tailgate and catch the game. There is almost always a pep rally involved, with homemade banners and mascot cameos. Most colleges have a lively tailgating scene complete with regional food and beverages.

4. Become Part of the Local Sports Community -- If there is no home game that week or if you’ve graduated already, you can always check in with local bars or student/fan organizations to go to game viewings. Sometimes these are in student centers, in outdoor venues on large screens or even broadcast in the team's stadium for the full experience of cheering along with your team's dedicated supporters.

5. Play Video Games -- Video games can really deepen your knowledge and comprehension of a sport. Today’s video games bring a level of realism that is utilized by the athletes themselves as a training tool. The EA Sports NCAA titles feature update-able rosters with real life statistics and rating systems to give you a better understanding of which teams and players to watch. You will also learn more about the terminology, strategy and play development, which will make you a more informed and in-depth spectator.

By Joshua John -- he currently works in community relations for the University of Southern California’s Virtual Master of Social Work program, which provides social workers the opportunity to earn an online social work degree  and apply for a social work license. He also loves gadgets, movies, and all things Batman. Follow him on twitter  @joshuavjohn.

You have the dilemma all high school student athletes hope to consider. Several colleges are recruiting you, and all of them are offering you a full athletic scholarship. Each scholarship packet sounds ideal, but you don't have a clue how to discern which one is best for you. Like any offer, you have to evaluate the pros and cons. Scholarship offers are no different. By weighing the options, and doing some deductive reasoning, you will narrow down your choices and ultimately accept the scholarship that is right for you.

When offered an athletic scholarship, you must evaluate all options carefully. The biggest draw to such an offer is the money. How much money does the scholarship packet provide? Although some schools offer more money than others, it should not be the deciding factor in accepting the scholarship. In short, don't necessarily jump at the offer that offers the most money. There may be restrictions attached.

Do your research and ask pertinent questions about restrictions. Some nonathletic scholarship prohibits you from using their money, if you are receiving an athletic scholarship. And the same could be true of the athletic scholarship. If you have more than one scholarship opportunities at a given school, the restriction would force you to give up additional monies that could finance your education.

Does the scholarship offer come from a college you believe is best for you? To answer this important question, you must consider a few things. Is the size of the school conducive to learning? Are the academics too rigorous or not challenging enough? Do you like the location of the school? What about the weather? This is crucial in that you may want to remain there upon graduation, so you must look at career opportunities beyond graduating.

Which college will provide you with the most opportunities to showcase your athletic abilities? No athlete wants to go off to college, participate in practice sessions, and then warm the bench because there are so many other good athletes on board. In that situation, you will never be able to grow and develop in your sport. Ask your high school coach if he knows, or if he can find out, how freshmen and sophomore athletes are treated. You will want to know exactly what you are walking in to.

If you can, make a college visit before deciding upon which scholarship to accept. Most athletic scholarships come with a nice perk of visiting the college on the university's dime. If this is this case, take advantage of it. Talk to other players and athletes about their experience at the school. Ask key questions: Did you get a fair amount of playtime as a freshman? How do you feel about the coaching instruction?
Your ultimate goal for accepting an athletic scholarship is to pursue a career as a professional athlete. Consequently, you will want to know about the college's history of cultivating and nurturing players to professional level. Be sure to ask how many college athletes went on to become professional sports players. What are their names and where are they now? How involved were the coaches in helping college athletes each professional standing?

This is one of the most important times of your life. Finding the right scholarship for college and accepting the best scholarship offer should not be taken lightly. Don't jump at the first offer without evaluating every option. Keep your eye on the prize. Be sure the college you select for your online degree supports you academic and interest wise.

By Guy Montag

From College News - Starting to pucker the seams on your jeans or poochie-poochie over the front a bit? Most likely it isn’t the addition of your Under Armour 2.0 base layer (a great excuse); no, this it the beginning of the college 10,15, 25 or 50lbs. It is very tempting to just crawl back into bed and stay there with a bag of chips. But Wait! In college it is easy to stop weight gain before it becomes a big problem. One of the best ways to beat the bulge is to get into a gym habit. Trips to the gym are as necessary to college survival as dorm supplies or a good cell phone plan. The question isn’t whether you should work out but where should you work out and how often.

Look into Your School’s Gym Facilities
Most colleges have at least one gym on campus. Often you can use the gym and take classes for very little just by being a student. This is often the best alternative because college gyms are cheap, clean and full of innovative machines that are used to keep the football and basketball teams happy. Moreover, the gyms are on campus so you can schedule gym time between other classes. The downside of college gyms is that sometimes the hours are limited and certain facilities like the pool can be closed when they are in use by various classes and teams.

Check Out National Gym Chains and Promotions
National gym chains like 24 Hour Fitness and Gold’s Gym are also an alternative. These gyms are usually inexpensive and they have very generous hours. Another advantage to national gym chains is that the membership dues can lock in at the current rate and continue at this rate for as long as you are a member. These gyms usually offer a variety of free classes and services and the machinery is up to date. Look for 7-day trial memberships to try out these gyms for free before joining.

The downside of these gyms is that they can be very crowded at peak hours and the classes can be so full you can hardly get into them. In addition, check out the amenities such as the stream, sauna and showers carefully even if you aren’t planning to use them. Sometimes these can be downright horrible and there isn’t anything worse than needing a shower and being faced with a tiny trickle of cold water.

Local Community Centers Have Gyms and Classes
Many local community centers also have gym facilities and classes available at very reasonable rates. Private community groups such as the YMCA and JCC  have gyms and facilities that are often excellent and available to anyone who wants to join.

Things to Look for in a Gym Membership

• Amenities, spa, pool, sauna, showers, lockers, basketball courts, etc.
• Cost, savings available for yearly plans
• Student discounts
• Locations, convenience
• Gym hours
• Classes and class schedules
• Certified trainers and instructors
• Sports therapists available
• CleanlinessBusy, overcrowded
• Extra curricular activities and programs
• Quality and variety of machines and weights, and their maintenance
• Weights and machinery for women

By Jen Thames

From College News - Urban Meyer hired by OSU after rumors swirled about the offer.

It's official. Urban Meyer has been tapped by Ohio State University to be the head coach of the Buckeyes football team.

The Detroit Free Press reports that Meyer has officially been hired by OSU. So far, OSU has not made any official announcement regarding Meyer, but ESPN is also reporting that he has been chosen. Meyer had previously worked as a commentator for ESPN after resigning from his position as coach of the Florida Gators.

Last week, we reported that Meyer had agreed to a seven-year $40M contract with OSU. Many fans joked that OSU hiring Meyer was the worst kept secret in college football.

As we reported last week, rumors swirled about Meyer joining the Buckeyes after he hinted he would be in a good place to take on such a role. Meyer was also bumped from last Saturday's Big Ten broadcast, which helped fuel rumors that the negotiations between OSU and Meyer were drawing to a close.

By Janelle Vreeland

From College News - Andrew Luck makes "catch of the year".

Andrew Luck is the favorite for this year’s Heisman trophy, and his performance over the weekend has pushed him even closer to scoring that victory.

Business Insider reports that Stanford quarterback Luck made one hell of a play Saturday night, making a one-handed, toe-tapping sideline catch.

Click here to watch the video of Luck’s astonishing catch.

By Janelle Vreeland

With the ongoing increasing conversations pertaining to college student-athletes, of whether they should be paid as professionals, or remain amateurs, I thought it take a moment to sit down and jot down some of my thoughts.

Here in the northwest, there is recent conversation in regards to a couple of our local universities, University of Washington and Washington State University (my alma mater) as to if their respective star players (UW's Isaiah Thomas and WSU's Klay Thompson) should return for their senior years of go Pro.

I admit to being a little bit "old school" when it comes to implementing success strategies to keep our young people on track for success. As the author of a just completed book "Standing above the Crowd: "Execute Your Game Plan to Become the Best You Can Be", that keeps the focus on the tried-and-true traditions of hard work, goal setting, dedication and positive attitude, I feel that those things along with my own personal life experience of being a collegiate student- athlete help me to have a perspective from the many different points of view pertaining to this conversation.

My Beginning as a Student Athlete:
Athletes are the prized and celebrated few of our society. From the time that most top-level athletes are in the fourth or fifth grade, they have already been identified as those that have a great opportunity in the world of sports. At that point they become coddled, pampered, and "taken care of" in ways that the average individual can only imagine. Many times athletes who are full of athletic potential don't have the same scholastic expectations placed upon them from the time they're in middle school and all the way through college. Is that fair? I guess I'd say it's fair only if it works out well for the athlete, his family and the university of their choice before heading on to the pros.

Unfortunately, that is where we as a society place our values, instead of on the student who gets straight "A's". But, many times it doesn't work out that way for the "hot-shot" athlete, and you only hear about the perhaps 10% of athletes who actually ascend to the top of the pyramid of the hundreds of thousands of scholar athletes throughout this country (middle school through collegiate sports). The vast majority of student-athletes will perhaps play on their high school varsity team, their collegiate athletic teams, and far fewer in the professional ranks. It's been said it's easier to become a brain surgeon that it is a professional athlete.

I was a late starter as a student-athlete, so I wasn't one of the pampered ones that were targeted for athletic success from middle school on. Matter of fact I didn't play my first organized basketball game until I was a senior in high school. So, I missed out on all the "wining and dining", "coddling and pampering", and, "wooing and recruitment" that goes on in trying to get the attention of our young athletes. That doesn't mean that I wasn't witness to those kinds of things as they went on around me having watched many of my peers go through all of those dynamics. I do remember even back in high school (mid 70's) in seeing some of the star football, basketball, baseball, track/field athletes being given special treatment as the recruiting wars heated up.

Coming from a family that emphasizes academics over athletics, I had the mindset from the beginning that my first reward from becoming a student-athlete would be my scholarship on to college. I was so excited about receiving my athletic scholarship to Washington State University, because I would be the very first person in my immediate family to be able to attend an institution of higher learning and earn a college degree. I know that my family is probably not "the norm" when it comes to having a student-athlete that is full of potential and can possibly make it onto the pros. Most families "want it" (the athlete to make it to the pros) even more than the athlete him/herself. My family wasn't like that, and I was really blessed in the fact that they did place academics ahead of athletics.

The Social Impact of Athletes not Graduating:
My major at Washington State University was in the areas of sociology/psychology. It was there that I begin to understand some of the social issues of the day (both historically and current) plus challenges that pertain to ethnic groups (such as African-Americans like myself) in particular. I learned that so many African-American men fall through the cracks (become involved with the criminal justice system, drop out of school, become teen-aged fathers, suffer higher unemployment rates, become involved with substance abuse such as alcohol, drugs, etc.) and we have the society and community need to do a better job of helping our young people along that precarious pathway that can lead them to success. Success that is not only measured on the athletic fields, but more importantly in the classroom, and then once they embark upon their respective career paths.

If you take a look at any collegiate or professional football/basketball team, you'll readily see that the vast majority of the young players are of African-American descent. At times it's been up to perhaps 90% in basketball and at the 70 to 80 percentile in football. Most of those players come from families that are single female-headed households (over 70% of African-American homes are single female-headed households in the United States), and the student-athlete themselves are the majority of the time, the very first generation in their families who have the opportunity to go on to college. We don't have to go too far back in history to realize the reasons why a lot of African-Americans were not allowed to attend school and become educated. So this is a relatively recent development in the fact that so many African-American student-athletes are now being given the opportunity to obtain degrees at every university across the United States. The shame of it all is the fact that very few of our African-American student-athletes actually walk away from a university after their athletic eligibility is up with a degree/diploma stating that he or she has completed the curriculum work and has earned a degree. That's the shame of it all and that has to be fixed!

Our student-athletes (no matter what ethnic background and culture they are from) cannot compete on a "level playing field" without a university degree with their student peers who are on campus at the same time with them. Even when a student-athlete does obtain his or her degree, they're still somewhat behind the rest of their graduating class because while the "regular" student has been attending classes everyday and gaining experience in implementing some of the skills they're learning, more often than not, the student-athlete is missing a large percentage of classes (even if it was made up by "study/tutor sessions") and is missing out on the opportunity to implement some of the skills of their learning along the way as do "regular" students. Also, "regular" students have an opportunity to form a social network that many times becomes a pathway onto their business network that they will utilize in launching their careers. Student-athletes many times are isolated on campus from everyday campus life because of the demands of the sport that they're playing, and trying to balance their academic load at the same time. Plus, when you're celebrated student-athlete on campus, it's difficult to be accepted as a normal everyday person and there's always someone who's willing to step up and "befriend you" for their own personal agenda such as "tickets, being a part of your inner circle, hoping to tag along with you on "the ride" to the professional ranks should you make it). The student-athlete has to be "extra careful" in who their friends are and that takes away from the campus experience too.

The small percentage of student-athletes who actually navigate their way successfully through this whole maze of "hangers ons", "friends and so-called friends", "groupies and posse'", "educators who want to be your friend" and the like are to be congratulated for making it through in the first place. Most likely they made it through because of their athletic talents, but also they had the good fortune of not going too far off track and ruining their opportunities for success. If you're a "lottery pick" or a "first-round pick ", more power to you, but keep in mind "to those whom much is given, much is expected ". I applaud them also, but that's not what this article is about. This article is about those "regular student-athletes" (like myself, who actually took going to school seriously and received my degree) who have the odds stacked against them to make it to the pros in first place.

What's Wrong with Paying College Athletes?
The controversy and conversation swirling about in recent years is in regards to payment collegiate student-athletes a portion of the huge sums of revenue that they generate for collegiate sports. At last count, the revenue-generating collegiate sports of the NCAA generated about $10 billion annually for the various schools and Universities that play the major revenue generating sports of football and basketball. That's a very large sum of money and it shows that college sports are more popular than ever. State-of-the-art football stadiums, basketball arenas, track and field venues, baseball fields and the like, have sprung up like dandelions in a meadow field over the last couple of decades. The recruiting war for student-athletes who can help you create a winning athletic program is fierce. Schools go all out to create state-of-the-art weight rooms, athletic dorms, dining halls and more in an effort to impress the student-athletes when he/she comes to visit the campus on a recruiting trip. There are also private planes, fancy hotels, money under the table (and money on top of the table), and new friends "to hook up with" that are thrown into boot. I wouldn't go so far as to say that any of these things are "wrong" as long as the Universities are abiding by the NCAA rules of recruitment, but you also have to keep in mind that the student-athletes are 17/18-year-old impressionable young people who have a tremendous amount of pressure put on them on all sides by coaches (both high school and college), families, friends, media and their peers. What 17/18-year-old is able to handle all of that?

The NCAA has been from its very beginning a venue for "amateur collegiate sports". For well over 100 years that has been its mission and purpose, and even though the mission and purpose is still in place, a lot of other dynamics (revenues for schools, television contracts, societal/alumni pressures to win, pride and prestige of winning a national championship titles, etc.) have changed especially over the last two or three decades. There have always been scandals throughout the history of the NCAA as far as somebody bending the rules of little too far. But it's gotten to the point where the student-athletes are feeling as if they are the ones who have contributed more than their fair share to the overall success of the athletic programs. It's true, a winning program generates more revenue, and a losing program will be faced with having a half-full stadium and budget shortfalls for the athletic department. So the pressure's on. Which way do we go from here?

I feel that NCAA sports should continue to be "amateur" in nature, but because of the tremendous amount of revenues that are generated for the universities, a portion of that should be set aside for student-athletes who are helping to build the success of the programs. I'm not in favor of outright paying the student-athlete either a stipend or a regular paycheck, but here's what I am in favor of, and that is to set some of that money aside that the school generates off of the hard work and athletic promise of the student-athlete. Set some of that money aside and put it into a trust fund or an annuity (choice of the student-athlete) that will be waiting there for the student-athlete upon graduation.

What can be done?
Traditionally, the "payment" that the student-athlete receives for being a scholarship athlete is a "full ride athletic scholarship that includes tuition, room and board". Most student-athletes also receive a monthly stipend that can range anywhere from $500 - $1,000 for basic expenses (food and gas money). The annual cost for scholarship at most major universities typically amount anywhere from $10,000-$50,000 a year. Back in my day, I felt that was a fair trade and I was more than happy to receive my full ride athletic scholarship. I realize times have changed and this is a whole different world that we live in nowadays.
So here's my suggestion; what if the university set that money aside in a trust fund or an annuity that would be waiting there for the student-athlete upon his or her graduation? We talked earlier about many times even if a student-athlete graduates with the rest of their graduating class, they're still behind the rest of their "regular" college peers because of the increased demands of doing double duty of being a student and athlete. I would think that creating a better win-win scenario in which both parties (the university and the student-athletes) have a vested interest, it would be better all the way around.

The university would still generate the tremendous amount of revenues that it does from its athletic programs and the participation of its student-athletes. The student-athlete would be compensated by given a "full ride athletic scholarship" (valued at perhaps $10,000-$50,000 per year), plus that amount of the scholarship would be placed in a trust fund or an annuity and would be there waiting for the student-athlete once that student-athlete graduates with a degree from the university.

I would even place additional onus on the university to commit as many years as is necessary to ensure that the student-athlete eventually walks away from the college campus with a degree in hand. Most student-athletes, if they are to graduate, graduate in about five years. If you have a scenario where it takes perhaps 10 years for student-athlete to complete all of his or her curriculum that ends up with a degree, so be it, the university makes that commitment. The university will be receiving the interest payments that will be accruing on the trust fund accounts.

The responsibility placed upon the student-athlete would be in order for him or her to receive the monies that are awaiting them in the trust fund or annuity, they need to graduate. Perhaps you can add some stipulations where the funds will be guaranteed to be there as long as the student-athlete meets a few basic criteria (no felonies, no more than a lapse of five years of attending classes either on campus or online, etc.), and that perhaps the longer it takes for the student-athlete to eventually receive their degree, the less money that will be there for them. (i.e., if there is a $100,000 trust fund awaiting the student-athlete once their athletic eligibility is used up, every year that it takes for them to actually obtain their degree, the amount of the trust fund decreases by 1 - 5%). That would ensure that there is an incentive for the student-athlete to continue pursuing their degree and not let a couple of decades go by before they decide that they want to resume pursuing their degree.

Here's an example:
Last year of eligibility Decrease of 5% ($5,000 per year) Amount In Trust Fund
2015: $100,000
2016: 5% $95,000
2017: 5% $90,000
2018: 5% $85,000
2019: 5% $80,000
2020: 5% $75,000
In the example above, the original $100,000 fund would be decreased by 5% for every year that it takes for the student-athlete to complete his or her curriculum and obtain their degree. I believe this would put a little pressure (student-athletes are very used to performing under pressure) on the student-athlete to eventually obtain their college degree.

What if a student-athlete doesn't have the wherewithal to pay for ongoing classes and tuition? Well then the university (or a neutral third party) would administer the trust fund (annuities have far too many tax consequences for early distribution of funds) and deduct the cost for classes/tuition and perhaps room and board from the trust fund. That would again create an incentive for the student-athlete to finish up his/her degree and not draw down (or borrow against in the case of an annuity) too much on their trust fund.

This model would be beneficial and a number of ways. As already mentioned the university would still be able to field revenue generating athletic teams, reward student-athletes with athletic scholarships and have a sum of money awaiting the student-athlete upon graduation. This model would also greatly increase the graduation rates of student-athletes, even if it takes 10 years to obtain a degree. It's not enough to say that you "went to" such and such university,... what the student-athlete wants to be able to say is that "I graduated from" such and such university. Also, this model somewhat "levels of playing field" and enables the student-athlete upon receiving the funds that have been set aside for them to "catch up" a little bit with their college campus peers who were not student-athletes when it comes to embarking upon their respective careers in "the real world". Besides, the "regular" college grad graduates with tremendous student loans to pay back (what's fair, you say?). There's a lot of things that one can do with a $100,000 nest egg (invest, purchase a home, start a business, etc.), and I feel that this will be the win-win solution moving forward. If they throw their nest egg away on fancy cars and treating their posse to luxuries, well at least the former student-athlete now has their college degree in hand to get out there and "get a job" like the rest of society.
We tend to think of the "star" student-athletes when we think about student-athletes at all. But what about those student-athletes who are on athletic scholarships yet hardly ever get a chance to play? They're contributing in practice and maybe playing just a little bit during "garbage time", and perhaps they were realistic enough to know that the chances of becoming a professional were slim to none. They still dedicated themselves and made just as large of a commitment to the athletic program as a star players did. Many times the student-athlete who realizes that he or she will not become an integral part of the team that they're working so hard to be part of; will find themselves transferring to another university and perhaps even losing a year of eligibility and doing so. Is that fair? Coaches have been able to move from team to team and university to university without any kind of hindrance, but the student-athlete cannot. So a model as I've discussed in this article would be beneficial to the second and third string student-athletes also. Even if their athletic career didn't pan out as planned on the college campus, they still have a "nest egg" to get themselves started along their alternative career pathway once they're finished with collegiate athletics.

In Summary:
I realize that we live in a world of "instant gratification" and "what have you done for me lately" mindsets. That is especially true in the world of athletics. Our young athletes get caught up in that mindset and dynamic all the time with either the expectations we place on them and/or the expectations that they place on themselves. As it is with becoming involved with criminal activity, substance abuse and the like, human nature is one that we all feel like "I'm the one that can handle it or that things only happen to those other people who don't know what they're doing". Bottom line is we don't know how our fate will play out in many situations. There have been dozens (if not hundreds) of "blue-chip" student-athletes who flamed out in college for various reasons and there have been student-athletes who came from absolutely nowhere and gone on to stardom in the professional ranks. Sometimes its fate and good fortune, sometimes injuries take their toll, sometime our young student-athletes fall off that pathway of success, sometimes the student-athlete is not able to adapt to life on a college campus, sometimes people can't handle failure (or success).

I for one am tired of seeing our young student-athletes walk away from a "golden opportunity" of being a student-athlete on a college campus in Anywhere, USA with little more than a few practice jerseys and maybe a trophy or two. It's a shame and there are so many places to point the finger of blame. Face it, the professional sports leagues could care less if the student-athlete has a degree or not. They just want to get the athlete under contract, pay him/her for services rendered, then move on to the next one once the athlete can no longer perform. But the two major entities involved in the scenario are the university and the student-athlete. Both can work together to create a win-win scenario for each other and which if properly managed and implemented can reap tremendous rewards for years down the road.
Article submitted by:James DonaldsonFormer collegiate athlete at Washington State University (1975 - 1979)Former NBA All-Star professional athlete (1980 - 2000)Owner and President of The Donaldson Clinic: Physical Therapy and Sports RehabilitationAuthor of Standing above the Crowd: Execute Your Game Plan to Become the Best You Can Be
http://www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it