In the Feb. 13-19 issue of SportsBusiness Journal, NCAA staff member Wally Renfro presents a case why there should not be salary caps for college coaches. I completely agree with his arguments, but find it fascinating that the points he eloquently makes to support the rights of university faculty and staff members to pursue outside compensation are completely forgotten when player compensation is discussed.
Renfro notes, “Head coaches — like everyone else in America — are paid on the basis of the perceived value they bring.” However, the NCAA takes great pride in preventing “student athletes” from having the same rights as everyone else in America. Even though faculty, staff, research assistants and even prominent students in the performing arts can seek increased compensation by brokering their services to different colleges or outside agencies, students who are successful at athletics can only receive a grant-in-aid that covers room, board, tuition and books. They are not allowed to profit from their name or their abilities. In addition, unlike other university employees, athletes in Division I basketball and football must seek permission to leave the university to compete for a different school. Even if the leave is granted, the athlete must not compete for one year.
As recently released tax records indicate, high-level NCAA executives receive compensation well in excess of a typical “full-ride” scholarship. Myles Brand’s $870,000 salary heads a list of nine NCAA executives making more than $250,000 a year. Brand and his staff at the NCAA deserve their compensation for their efforts, as the NCAA is a well-run organization. Brand has been applauded for increasing revenue, and he has recently noted the need to enhance income-generating opportunities in the future.
Despite Brand’s stellar efforts, few would track the minute-by-minute details of NCAA meetings in person or on television. However, consumers will purchase thousands of tickets and watch countless hours of programming devoted to the competing athletes. But since some of those athletes have their compensation artificially restricted, they cannot reap the rewards for their efforts like every other person on campus. As Renfro noted in his article, “Sometimes, it doesn’t seem fair, or to some, make sense.”
Mark Nagel is the sport administration director at Georgia State University.
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