re: Eric Reid's quote

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$7,000 a year

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Conservatively let's say a football team carries 60 scholarship players.

That's 420 K a year. Athletic departments are already in the red. LSU is a rare case. So it is, in fact, a lot of money. UTEP can't afford this kind of pay.

LSU can. Uneven playing field.

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That's 420 K a year.

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I'm sorry, but that is a drop in the bucket when these programs spend millions.

Your point about UTEP et al. is granted, however. I just don't think it is as big of an issue as you are making it out to be.

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Your point about UTEP et al. is granted, however. I just don't think it is as big of an issue as you are making it out to be.

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The main point is, it creates an uneven playing field. And over 10 to 15 years it becomes a lot of money. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. LSU would always be making money ... UTEP would always be losing money.

One year it's not a huge difference, but it's over the long run where it really hurts.

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I'm sorry, but that is a drop in the bucket when these programs spend millions.

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That's over 20% of "millions". Hardly a drop in the bucket. Remember, that is more than the salary of the vast majority of assistant coaches, including coordinators. And this on top of the expense of running a program that loses money for most FBS schools. It is a signficant expense, even if some programs (like ours) can and would eagerly afford it.

I think everyone in this thread is missing the point. The real issue here is monopolistic practice. The only truly fair thing for the NCAA to do would be to allow these students to hire agents and bargain for their worth as determined by a free market.

As the current system stands, the NCAA football can bar competition from the market. NCAA football serves as a de-facto farm system for the NFL, and nobody can possibly develop a competing product because laws prevent them from doing so.

Ask yourself this: Why is it against the law in Louisiana for an agent to attempt to sign an LSU athlete?

This is akin to (hypothetically) Exxon being banned from LSU's career day because the petroleum engineering students are doing such a great job for the state-run oil company.

There is nothing monopolistic about trying to maintain an amateur program. Plenty of organizations have rules. If you want to be in the organization, follow the rules.

There is NAIA football, junior college football, semi-pro leagues across the country, Arena ball. If these players are so valuable, take their talents and sell them to the highest bidder. I will be an LSU season ticket holder regardless.

These players don't generate a dime of revenue from me. You could substitute all 85 for another 85 I will still be there.

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There is nothing monopolistic about trying to maintain an amateur program.

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You're exactly right. That's why the NCAA must not ever pay their players. That's why former NCAA executive director, Walter Byers, called it "economic camouflage for monopolistic practice."

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These players don't generate a dime of revenue from me. You could substitute all 85 for another 85 I will still be there.

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But TV ratings would suffer if the field were littered by sub-par players. NCAA revenue would fall. Fewer games would be televised, etc...

I don't question your loyalty to LSU's brand, but as a whole, interest would fall off if the athletes weren't amongst the most-skilled.

If you want to pay the players, give each student-athlete an account when they enroll and just direct deposit a stipend into it every semester they complete, but they can't touch it. They can claim it once they earn their degree.

It will still allow for pro prospects to leave early for a big payday if they want, but encourage those who stay to work towards graduating.

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it’s time to start discussing paying players.

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This is a slippery slope. Idiotic, I'd say. You can kiss the game of football as we know it good bye. This is a really stupid idea.

The players are already getting a scholarship for the skills they bring. If they add monetary incentives on top of that, then they should also compensate every student at the University to keep an even keel.

If they do start paying players, then you can watch for lap dances in the press box. Just plain stupid. It will bastardize the game.