pearlyspencer wrote:
I Have seen a quite different statistic IIRC. It said that many, perhaps a majority, if full-scholarship college athletes live below the poverty level All athletes(I presume) - not just stars like " King James and Kareem, who have been the faceif this.
That's not what I mean. A full scholarship carries a value ~30,000-50,000 per year. The training and marketing on top of that are worth more. Only 3 sports in college gameplay actually generate revenue: football, basketball, and hockey. Those 3 fund the scholarships for not only themselves but all the other sports at a D1 university.
Of those sports only a few players actually generate added value to the team. Remove 3rd string offensive linemen from the team, and wins don't go down much. Remove star quarterback and wins go down 1-2 games minimum. College revenue is highly tied to wins of the team, since fans cheer for the schools not the players.
If you want to know the true market value of a player look at their other options. Collegiate basketball players can play in the G League ($35,000 per year), or China or Australian or European leagues. Collegiate baseball players can enter the draft right away or play in the Minors ($10,000 (AAA)-$1,100 (rookie) per month depending on the league). Many college stars (like Johnny Manziel) who can't hack it in the NFL play in the CFL (Average $50,000/year).
So yes, when I say the majority of scholarship athletes are overpaid by market standards that is accurate. Sports like music and acting is a discipline where the very top are very wealthy but everyone else tends to struggle to be above poverty.
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