Penn State AD Sandy Barbour said that she "believes it's worth talking about" paying college athletes or allowing them to earn money through endorsement deals, according to David Jones of the HARRISBURG PATRIOT-NEWS. Barbour said, "It certainly solves or addresses some of the challenges and issues around (paying college players). And it certainly operates off of free-market principles that don't lie at the feet of the institutions." Barbour: "But also, are we going to restrict (which businesses) they can or they can't (deal with), their association with a particular institution? ... I don't know the answers to those. It creates other questions. It doesn't mean it's not the right thing to do. And I do think it's a viable possibility, a viable alternative. But all the questions are out there that aren't answered." Barbour also "thinks there is interest among" ADs in "exploring how such a proposal might work" (PENNLIVE.com, 5/10). ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser said adopting the Olympic model in college would be a way for “schools themselves (to not) have salaries for players." Kornheiser: "This comes from other people who want to use you for promotional activities. ... This makes so much sense to me. ... The NCAA looks backwards instead of forward, and runs around chasing its own tail. The athletes on the revenue-producing sports are going to be the ones that everybody wants their jerseys or everybody wants their helmets signed or something like that. It's a way for them to make money without the schools having to establish salaries” (“PTI,” ESPN, 5/10).
FINDING A WAY: Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh said that he is "looking at potential ways to provide compensation for his players without making them full employees." Harbaugh said that the program is "looking into the idea of offering deferred compensation to players through avenues like an all-access video series like the one Michigan did with Amazon last year." Harbaugh said that if the team does "decide to participate in another season of the show, he wants to see if the players can get a cut of that deal." Harbaugh: "We're exploring that right now. Can we get $1,000 of stock in Amazon possibly for deferred compensation? ... We're just kind of wondering if it's possible." Harbaugh said that he "wasn't in favor of paying salaries to players, mostly because of the possible tax implications" (ESPN.com, 5/10).
