Someone explain to me why true amateurism is still a worthwhile virtue in 2017

[TarHeelNation11]

I posed this question to @mikeirbyusa in the GT thread, but didn't want it to get lost in the shuffle. So I'm making a new thread.

Someone explain to me why true amateurism is still a worthwhile virtue, worth protecting, in 2017. I would love to see some explanations (not sarcasm) because I'm genuinely curious.

Some background on my opinion before you start: I am against schools paying players, but not because of the myth of amateurism. I'm against it because I love college sports, and shifting to a model where schools pay players would drastically alter college sports forever. Many schools would have to cease playing varsity football and/or basketball because they wouldn't be able to pay the "market rate" for players. That is why I'm against schools directly paying players. It would just shake up the system too much. Instead, I am for the Olympic model which allows players to earn their own money based off their likeness, image, skills, etc.

So, please explain to me why amateurism is something we should continue to prop up in college sports.

 

[MWHeels]

I posed this question to @mikeirbyusa in the GT thread, but didn't want it to get lost in the shuffle. So I'm making a new thread.

Someone explain to me why true amateurism is still a worthwhile virtue, worth protecting, in 2017. I would love to see some explanations (not sarcasm) because I'm genuinely curious.

Some background on my opinion before you start: I am against schools paying players, but not because of the myth of amateurism. I'm against it because I love college sports, and shifting to a model where schools pay players would drastically alter college sports forever. Many schools would have to cease playing varsity football and/or basketball because they wouldn't be able to pay the "market rate" for players. That is why I'm against schools directly paying players. It would just shake up the system too much. Instead, I am for the Olympic model which allows players to earn their own money based off their likeness, image, skills, etc.

So, please explain to me why amateurism is something we should continue to prop up in college sports.

I agree with your idea of going to the olympic model. I also wouldn't mind seeing players getting a portion of the money that schools are getting from shoe / uniform deals. College sports will change whether we like it or not, but I'm hoping they find a balance between the current system and turning college sports into another paid minor league for the NBA and NFL.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Now we get to see.

As for the value of (true) amateurism, it's becoming a rather quaint notion, isn't it? And yet it seems honorable. Maybe that's just another quaint notion.

 

[TPFKAPFS]

People have touted the value of a scholly for years! With some schools charging upwards of 20K, were they ever really amateurs? The system had to change and it had to go to a model that allowed a free market for athletes. The schools were making too much money on the NIL of these players without some way to give them a taste! I have no problem with them deducting the cost of the scholly for anything they sell on campus or gain from the player's popularity and then putting a set % away in a trust!

I will love bball with the Tar Heel logo on their chests no matter how they receive compensation! I just need them to be good representatives of our Way!

 

[midline]

You haven't had true amateurs, at least in football and basketball, for years before 2017. And the term student-athlete pretty much became a joke decades ago. It is big business, pure and simple

 

[Grayhead]

Next people will be arguing over paying taxes on that money they make. Or are they tax exempt for being a "student athlete"?

 

[midline]

Next people will be arguing over paying taxes on that money they make. Or are they tax exempt for being a "student athlete"?

No, they are going to have to pay taxes. In fact I believe Mack Brown said something about getting the players some education on handling the money so they aren't surprised by the tax bill when it comes due

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I find myself wondering how much in NIL Patrick Baldwin is likely to make.

For those who want a refresher, he's the stellar SF (#5 overall, #1 SF) who chose to play for his father at Wisconsin-Milwaukee over playing for K at Duke.

If Whitmore can make $1 million, imagine what Patrick could rake in at Duke. A lot better than at Milwaukee, I'd guess. But is that true?

Is it too late to decommit?

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Have there been or will there be any last minute decommits as players find out they can make a lot more NIL for a different school?

How do you judge "interference" in this new free market?

 

[DSouthr]

Unless you are dumb as a box of rocks (and a box of rocks should be smarter that to let this happen) it is now VERY easy to us NIL to steer players to particular schools. Example, Bacot signs a deal with Jimmy's Seafood, Garcia commits to us and wham, he now has himself a deal with Jimmy's. Would either of those fellas have got a Jimmy Seafood deal without being a UNC player, you know that he wouldn't and you as well know the Jimmy's deal was to be had before he committed. But it is structured in a way that the NCAA deems acceptable but it is the same thing that was a violation before NIL, every program in the country will do this. Bojangles, with Sam already on board for them has announced they are going to have 3 spots at least every year for UNC player NIL deals, another player just got one in the last couple days.

Pretty much the ONLY thing the NCAA had to do was to enforce eligibility and they did a extremely POOR job of that and now frankly they have little to no reason to do even that so what is the point of the NCAA now? Why hand over the lion share of March Maddness income to the NCAA when they do so little to earn it? Why not leave them and have the lion share of that money go to the schools rather than a governing body that refuses to govern.

 

[dtodd4475]

That is exactly what is happening with the football super conference. Cutting out a useless middle man that steals large chunks of the profits.

It is and always has been big business. The bigger the business got with the mega profits rolling in, the less need to be used. Do it yourself.