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Let's assume that the new TV contracts come in at $400 million, a relatively conservative estimate. That's $245 million more a year than schools are getting under the current BCS system, which pays its members based on what bowls they play in and what conferences they belong to.
Take half of that money and increase payouts to schools, which will still nearly double what they take in. The rest is still basically free money anyway, so why not give it to the players? Do it across the board, with every player getting the same amount no matter what school they go to or what position they play.
Based on 125 schools that play major college football, it would come out to about $1 million a school. Divide that by, say, 100 players and it works out to $10,000 a year per player.
It's not a huge amount, but keep in mind that players are already getting full tuition and room and board that might otherwise cost $50,000 a year. And it should be enough to stop them from taking cash under the table from boosters or selling their used jerseys at tattoo parlors so they can take a date to a pizza joint.
Some may argue against college athletes being paid anything, but those arguments are about as outdated as letter sweaters and drives in the hot rod to the campus malt shop. We're in a different era, where even teenagers can make life- changing money on tennis courts, golf courses or in the Olympics. It's unconscionable to make football players risk permanent injury for nothing more than a few books and some meals while their coaches are paid millions and the schools who employ them rake in even more.
Overhauling the BCS and establishing playoffs that culminate with a national champion was long overdue.
It's also time to overhaul a huge money-making enterprise that benefits almost everyone but the players themselves.
[Associated Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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