Many pixels have been displayed lately arguing over paying players. One side says that its not fair to expect students to not follow all of the inane NCAA rules and not take any of the money sitting on the table next to them with a "Please Take" sign signed by overzealous boosters (redundant?). The other says that paying players would bankrupt the majority of schools and we don't need a NFL developmental league. Both sides are right.

I am a grad student who has a job as a TA at an university institute. I help my school save money by not making them hire more teachers, and the school wants to attract quality grad students to the school, and so my tuition is paid for and I get a $2000 stipend for living expenses. It could be argued that a football player already has all of his living expenses paid (via room and board) but I think the same model could be applied. A set monthly stipend would help the students cover their xbox subscriptions, support greedy parents with sob stories, travel around world to circumcise little boys and set a little money on the side as well.

How much money and where would it come from? The how much is a good question and a fixed amount would certainly be unfair to both the 3rd string benchwarmers and the starting QBs, but this is college football. If they want pay for performance they can go play in Europe. The where however is where my modest proposal comes in. The NCAA should implement a x% tax on the salaries of all coaches in football (and basketball and however many other sports you want) and distribute the money equally among the SAs. Again yes, a bench warmer at SDSU would make as much as Cam Newton (just kidding, there's no way the stipends would be $200K), but oh well. Academic progress (try not to laugh SEC) would still be required and those kicked off teams would lose their scholarship and stipend.

Would it be unfair for the coaches to take a say 5% pay cut? Yeah probably, but at the same time college coaching salaries have been skyrocketing based on the work that the students put in. Will this prevent boosters from forking over cash, cars and teenage girls of questionable moral character in order to get recruits? No, but it might be enough for a student to think twice before signing an autograph for a signature.

Then again its a sane (imho) idea and thus the NCAA would never go along with it.

Bumped from the FanPosts for obvious URBAN MEYER WATCH value. Until he comes back he's going to be like Dave Chappelle in exile, and we'll track him like Nessie if need be. --O/S

Fact: Urban Meyer takes extended leave of absence from job as Head Coach of UF.

Fact: Paul Johnson is amassing a small army of previous head coaches looking for new digs

Fact: GT needs a strength and conditioning coach

Fact: This picture was taken in the Campus Rec Center on GT Campus

via http://www.flickr.com/photos/hectoralejandro/4357626028/

THIS ISN'T HIGH LEVEL CALCULUS PEOPLE! START THE RUMOR MILL: URBAN MEYER TO GT!!

Some people may try to claim that his "daughter" plays some mythical sport "volleyball" for GT and that he is simply visiting her, but these conspiracy theorists miss one simple and indisputable fact. With this fact it is clear that Urban Meyer can only be at Tech in order to become the next strength and conditioning coach.

Fact: There are no attractive girls at GT.

Q.E.D.