Much has been discussed these past few years about the "paying of student-athletes" -- and the proposed solutions have been all over the board. The latest -- paying each athlete a stipend of $3,500 has yet to gain much traction -- so I've decided to throw out an idea for the NCAA to consider.
IT IS LABOR DAY after all...
It's simply this -- create a "pension program" for all NCAA Division I scholarship athletes. It would look something like this:
- The NCAA would create a pension program that they and each of the 340 Division I member institutions would agree to contribute to -- out of television and licensing revenues each year.
- Eligibility: Every NCAA Division I "student-athlete" -- who signed a National Letter of Intent out of high school with their original school, was on this team's roster a minimum of four academic school years and received a (four-year) college degree from that same institution.
- Pension Benefit Payments would be available to the qualified student-athlete once they reach the age of 65.
Here's what this proposed program does for college athletics:
- It requires student-athletes to remain in college all four-years and earn a degree.
- It puts some 'monetary value' in remaining at the school you signed your original National Letter of Intent with.
- And, it treats "every scholarship student-athlete" the same -- no matter what school you played for or sport you played.
For those who feel the requirements are too severe -- the NCAA could easily pay out a "lesser percentage" to those who transferred to another school, failed to play all four years or graduate...
