Ran down to Kroger about 6 yesterday and was checking out next to two of our current players. I said to them "I hope you guys stay. I sure enjoyed watching you play." They were very polite and thanked me and then when they finished checking out, made the effort to say have a "good day."

On the short drive home I began to reflect on our short conversation and their life as I interpret it to be. They're basically on the clock 24/7 beholding to a coach who may or may not be the same guy who sat in their living room pitching himself and his program. I'm not sure I could have operated in an environment where I was at the beck and call of someone year round. Sure the NCAA places limits on contact hours and the like but everyone knows there are creative ways around that not to mention "open gyms" and "expectations" that actually are requirements.

My point is quite simple. These are 18 to 22 year old kids performing on a vast stage 30+ times a year and playing a game that they loved at one time and may still love where those in attendance have 1) unrealistic expectations, 2) sometimes measure their own self worth/manlyhood based on the outcome of a game (the picture of the tosu fan crying when his team lost), and 3) spend way more time on something that in the whole scheme of things is nothing more than a diversion of entertainment. And all the while, this happens under the pretense of being at an institution to get a college degree. The kids on Palmer Street last weekend and those of us who attended Spring Fest and frequently the various uptown establishments sure live(d) in a parallel universe.

Let me come at this from a slightly different perspective.

As I've posted,I played D1 soccer at O.U.and wrestled D1 at FDU.
Both as walk-ons.

Then again,at the time,O.U. had 1 soccer scholarship,so we were all walk-ons.

That meant we were subject to the same time constraints as any other D1 sport.
But no financial compensation,except meal money for road games.

At O.U. we had some type of off season formal/informal practice,in the Winter and Spring.
We weren't on campus during the Summer.
But you were told,both verbally and by letter,that you were expected to show up
to Fall Camp,"in shape".
That meant running all summer,because the first day of Fall Camp we did a timed run on the Golf Course.

At F.D.U. you were expected to participate in a Spring Sport.
Summers were off campus.
But that meant running and lifting to be ready for practice in the fall.
You'd also try to fit in a camp or two to help with your technique.

We would have given anything to get a scholarship of any kind.

We participated for the love of the sport.

We knew the time commitment going in.

That limited us primarily to practice,class and studying.
Especially for people like me that were engineering majors.

Saturday and Sunday morning practice kind of limited partying uptown on weekends.
(Fests weren't really a "thing" when I was there.)

At O.U. you were not allowed to be in a fraternity.
The coaches rightly felt that you couldn't devote adequate time to both.
FDU didn't really have much Greek Life.

Funny,never felt anything but pride in being able to participate in sports at the college level.
And to represent my University.

As I've posted,I'd like to see something along the line of a "Restricted Free Agent".

If your coach leaves or something along those lines you're free to go.

What I'm concerned about is if an athlete can transfer,without any restriction,P5 schools are going to start using smaller schools as a quasi farm system.

Get a scholarship to a school like O.U.
Attend for a year or two to improve your playing skils.

Then move up.

Thanks for sharing - according to your post - they did not respond to your statement. Not reading anything into it - probably get asked multiple times a day.

OK, I'll ask. Who were the two players?

Which media organization are you reporting for? :)

Alan, when coaches make millions there is the incentive to keep doing so. Everyone down the pecking order is dreaming of the big pay day. That’s why the kids have so much pressure on them. If they were paid like a professor it would be much different.

my hunch is players didn't feel animosity towards Saul for his paycheck, especially if their experience with him was like a recent post on this board.

under his predecessor? yeah, i could imagine so.

I think you'd find broad support for this idea in Ohio, except for certain quarters in Cowtown. They have tremendous pull with the General Assembly. However, I think if it was put on the ballot as an initiative it might pass, with a good, well-financed advertising program right up to election day. I'd certainly make a contribution to the cause. This, of course, would apply only to state schools, but I'm not worried about Muskingum, Marietta or even Case Western Reserve paying a coach that much! ;-)

I think there needs to be a Division where schools admit athletics are a business. You have to follow all labor and antitrust law. You would have to pay the player what he is worth on the market. The other Divisions would have to be school and student first. If you violate the rules of amateurism and the academic codes of your institution you'd get the book thrown at you to the point where those guilty would never see their school competitive again.

I think that paying a $2000 stipend or something just further blurs the line between school and business and will just lead to more problems in the end. If you say what you are then I can hold you to that standard. If you try to say you're an business when it is convenient and an institution dedicated to higher learning when it is not then I can't.

Why College Athletes Will Never Be Paid

Because you claim non-profit when it works for you and, "Hey, it is just business" when it doesn't. THIS is what has to stop. Pick one and then be held to it.

I think you may be missing Alan's point, OCF. I think he meant that the Div I model demands too much of an athlete's time year round, but that the Div III model allowed his daughter to have more of a well rounded college experience.