The argument for and against paying players is an exhausting one. On one hand the NCAA makes hand over fist off the high permormance of players in the revenue generating sports. On the other is that even though schools and the NCAA both make money off the players, they receive a free education along with a variety of frills that go with it. How soon the scales will tip in the favor of these athletes is probably as fruitless to project as well.
However, a lawsuit has been gaining steam with regards to using student athletes "likeness" in video games. Already dancing amidst the grey area is selling jerseys and other paraphenalia with a student athletes number or nickname (remember T-Mobile?). Nonetheless, those in the class action lawsuit are drawing the line in the sand with game publishers, namely EA sports, for making players look too realistic in these games. Technology has come a long way over the past twenty years to make playing these games feel as close to the real thing as possible. For the fans, this is a great thing. At what cost does it come to these student athletes though?
For more info here's the article by CBSSports: http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketbal...
Do you all agree that this is going too far or that these athletes should enjoy seeing a digital replica of themselves that they can in turn play along with as well? The details seem a little muddled, but I'm sure we can all agree we don't want to go down the path of seeing players with the likeness of a cartoonish foosball mold.
Thoughts below
Comments
I don't think it really hurts them.
Lets be honest, we all want to be in a videogame, and thats why they have all these "Road to Glory" or "Be a Pro" modes. It's sweet seeing yourself widespread in a video game.
It's a slippery slope
Yeah, players want to be on a videogame and yes their likenesses are being used to make mucho bucks and they dont get a dime unless they end up on the cover after they graduate.
It doesnt help that EA is so disingenous about the likeness thing, basically saying that "hey this could be anybody."
Could be anybody right?
I dont know that straight up paying players is attractive because so few athletic departments operate in the black as is. If the NCAA says ok you can pay players then will everyone have to pay players? Will it all have to be equal? The cash value of scholarships is already unequal between institutions so if they let it be a free for all then something tells me that Bama might offer more money than say Akron. That would make the disparity between big and small schools even greater than it is now.
Companies are taking advantage
The athletes cannot earn money off their own image so no one else should either. You can argue whether showing a student athlete's image on a TV broadcast is exploitation or if it is just reporting of a sporting event. Hyping a future event by discussing or showing star athletes crosses a line but nothing is done to stop it.
Can't you allow the players to sign off on ....
...a video game using their likeness?
lol
that person in section 9 row FF in Lane Stadium on NCAA 13 has my likeness. I want money
I think it's unfair these kid's aren't getting a slice of the pie. Billion dollars TV deals, millions of video game sold, banking on apparel (#5, #34 jerseys, etc). Would anyone buy NCAA '13 if the game wasn't modeled off of the players, their skills, their strengths and weaknesses? No, of course not. It's a simulation sports game that is so popular because it's based on the actual players. EA's skirted around not using player names by making roster uploading and sharing so simple, oh and people like Operation Sports get to make money by producing them. So yeah, they deserve something.
They won't get it though. If you pay football players (who bring in the vast majority of cash), then you need to pay all the other student athletes the same. That's not capitalism, but that along with amateurism and a comped education are strong defenses that have held for the NCAA.
Unless the money is divided equally
The players that would get the most money would be from the big name schools. It is just like the sales of memorbilia. There would have to be an equal distribution regardless of popularity or even if you play at all in real life. Paying amatuer athletes for their performance means they are not amatuers.