1. Matt Scharboneau

2. The Current System  As it stands today, student-athletes have to balance schoolwork, a social life and 35 hours a week in-season without having time to make money  Books, food and other expenses can be unattainable for some athletes without the ability to hold a job

3. The Current System (cont.)  University of Georgia football star A.J. Green was reprimanded by the NCAA for attempting to profit off the sale of his game-worn jersey while the university sells it in stores everywhere  Athletic departments can profit off merchandise, revenue and television contracts but refuse to reward those earning that money

4. Notable Statistics  The University of Texas, University of Michigan and University of Florida have earned as much as $42 million from football alone in one fiscal year  Additionally, at least 42 of 119 Division I- A football head coaches make more than $1 million annually

5. Statistics (cont.)  Sums of $226 million and $150 million were spent on facilities alone at the University of Michigan and University of Texas  All in all, the countless millions of dollars involved with college athletics are withheld from those producing the profit – the athletes themselves

6. The Education Myth  A popular argument among proponents of the current system states that student-athletes receive their compensation in the form of a “free education”  While most athletic scholarships do cover tuition costs, they are of no use if the athletes aren’t graduating

7. Poor Graduation Rates  As of 2009, black basketball players were graduating at a rate of 54% while black football players were only at 58%  Conversely, white athletes in both sports were graduating at a 76% clip  If only slightly more than half of a large portion of the student-athlete base is not graduating, the “free education” is almost completely useless

8. Pay For Play?  A rigid pay-for-play plan doesn’t seem to be in the works any time soon, but other methods of compensation are possible  For example, establishing a fund that can only be accessed after student-athletes graduate could provide incentive to earn a degree while still providing compensation down the road

9. Additional Solutions  A 2011 summer conference is scheduled for various university presidents and chancellors in which they will discuss the contents of a plan that involves the merits of using the money generated by athletic departments towards programs that help student-athletes graduate and also prepare them for careers after sports

10. Boycott  The idea of a widespread, massive student-athlete boycott is far-fetched but would do wonders for establishing change in the NCAA policy  It would be difficult to organize and execute, but the idea would likely be extremely effective and could potentially happen down the road

11. Conclusion  All in all, the fight for a payment plan for college athletes is a struggle that will be ongoing for years to come  With NCAA higher-ups greedier than ever, establishing pay-for-play principles will be an extremely difficult task but one that has an exciting future