This issue is so much more complicated than most of us comprehend. We tend to think of Million dollar TV and Bowl payouts to football and the "why are the players not getting the cut?" follow-on question.
Within football, the gameday experience is multi-faceted.
Question: Should the Band, the Cheerleaders, the hostesses, Big Al himself get a cut as well? If not, how do you justify that acceptably?
Question: What about the non-student-athletes and non-students? Should ticket taker Carl from Brookwood get in on the payday? Yes, he is already being compensated, but then so are the players. SO how do we cut out Carl?
Slipper Slop Questions: If we increase money to the players, how do we address the next question which is how much? Can Bama pay more than Vandy? Yes. So should Vandy and Bama pay the same or do we introduce the "to the highest bidder" concept into the mix? Does anyone really want to get into a bidding war with Notre Dame?
Question: Should the payment to a female long jumper going to school in Troy, Alabama be the same as the starting quarterback at USC? Do you think that there is a cost of living difference between the two locations? What about significants of the sports, their value to the sport and team, the income of the athletic department?
This can easily go on and on, but the point of a short story made long is that there are complicated questions that require subjective decisions and in the end there will be no agreeable formula.
I me, at least for right now, as long as the kids are not living in poverty I am happy with the spirit of the Student-Athlete.
