But, but, but....equality, or something.
This is a good discussion for another thread, probably in the Lounge.
What is the purpose of college athletics?
Is it about capitalism and making money and then using that money on the sports that produce it? Is it about spreading the money made off it around among many sports? Is it about providing opportunities for the maximum number of student-athletes? Is it something else?
Different people will have different perspectives and ideas.
My personal take is this. I'd expect college football and college men's basketball players to have the best overall facilities in college athletics (compared to other college sports) because their sports bring in the most dollars. But there needs to be a mininimum acceptable level of facilities and provisions for every SA in every college sport.
At its root to me college athletics is about providing the maximum number of opportunities to SA's to both attend college and improve their education and earn degrees. This is in the best interest of the country as a whole as increasing the education level of more people is better for the country than educating fewer numbers of people. I have no issues with Title IX, as it guarantees that the money gets spread around more, otherwise it would get tied up in just a couple of sports both decreasing the number of scholarships available to all individuals and even more negatively impacting scholarships to females, which is a net negative to society as a whole.
Both colleges and athletic associations are set up as primarily non-profit entities. The role of colleges is to educate young people so they can be productive members of society and increase the overall economic activity of the country. If we think colleges should be something else, that is fine, but then we should remove the non-profit designation for them (both colleges and athletic associations) and they should pay taxes to the US and state governments since they are no longer providing the services they were initially created to provide.
This is why I am thrilled about the changes to the G-League. Those kids that don't want to go to college, don't make them, it is a waste for US society as a whole to make them go to college if they have no desire to be there when the money can instead be spent on those who do want to go and educate themselves. Frankly, i wish the NFL would create its own minor league - but it won't as long as college athletics is willing to function as its minor league.
If young people want to make money, by all means go and make money. But for me personally it is not the role of college to make money for young people, it is to educate them.
This is why i'm all in on the NIL. If they can make some money based on their value then by all means go do it. But colleges themselves should not pay young people to come and play. Also, if those young people want to use any of the college apparel as part of the NIL then I believe they should first have to secure the approval of the college (and if the college believes it is not in its best interest to allow its apparel to be used in conjunction with a specific business it would have the right to refuse to allow its use) to do so and some percentage of the income earned should go to the college.
The NIL is going to be a very interesting eye opener once it comes into existence. Some young people will be able to make money early on just based on their reputation, but if they don't produce at that level once they get to college than the amount they will be able to earn will decrease over time. And there will be young people that are unable to make any money based on reputation coming in to college who will then play out and earn opportunities to earn money
This is a very interesting topic with alot of viewpoints and i'm not sure there is one 'right' viewpoint.
Mods: if you feel this should be moved elsewhere because it is getting this thread to far off topic please feel free to move it where it would be more appropriate.