So the Pac-8, sorry, Pac-12, is now facing a players group demanding among other things 50% of sports revenue paid to the ''student''-athletes in the various sports. Revenue, not net income.
The conference should just say no.
The various teams have stadiums and facilities to maintain and salaries to pay. Some even have huge amounts of debt for new stadiums they've built. The cost of running the programs are enormous, and hardly any make money. Because of Title IX, the schools have to offer women student athletes as many scholarships as they do men, and thus operate more sports (there are no women's sports with 100 players on the team, like football has. Every one of those programs at every school - including women's basketball - loses money. All but a handful of football programs across the country wouldn't survive without taxpayer funds and donor money.
The players say they play for free, but that isn't true. They get full scholarships, apartments, all the food they can eat, top medical care, first class travel, meals, and hotel. They are popular on campus. They don't have to work while going to school. They receive top coaching, and the best of them are able to hone their skills to the point of being able to continue in the NFL - where they can earn millions and live a life others only dream of. Etc etc. For the majority who won't turn pro, they will leave school without a huge student loan.
The schools should tell the players to stick it, don't even entertain the proposal. College isn't for everyone.
