Last night’s edition of PBS’ “NewsHour” featured a discussion on the issue of the student-athlete in NCAA athletics, with PBS’ Jeffrey Brown noting there is “serious pressure” on the NCAA to compensate the athletes in some form. Univ. of Texas-San Antonio assistant professor and Student-Athletes Human Rights Project Founder Emmett Gill said the role of the student-athlete “definitely needs rebalancing.” It does not need a “complete overhaul, because I think we are moving in the right direction when we talk about cost-of-living stipends and four-year scholarships.” But Gill said the issue of the use of “name and likeness” of players and post-playing medical costs “need reform.” ESPN’s Len Elmore said the “definition of amateurism certainly has changed, and we need to balance the equity so to speak to be able to reflect that.” Elmore: “I would not advocate paying them directly as though they were employees, because that opens up a new Pandora’s box. But nevertheless, things such as medical benefits, things such as the true cost of an education, those differences have to be made up.” Gill added, “I believe in a model where male and female student-athletes are able to use their name and likeness to build their brand-name recognition.” Gill said there needs to be a “model that allows student-athletes to integrate their educational opportunities with the financial opportunities that come with them being a big-time college athlete” (“NewsHour,” PBS, 4/6).
