UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

Looks like some of the college players are determined to destroy college ball as we know it. Now they are wanting to get a Union to back them and they will be wanting salaries.

I say if they want salaries then take away the scholarships that they are languishing under.

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/07/should-college-football-players-get-paid/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=1

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?id=2733624

http://www.cbssports.com/general/writer/gregg-doyel/23838595/its-time-pay-college-football-players-changing-times-money-say-so

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20131111/ncaa-obannon-case-next-steps/

tschmath Loc: Los Angeles

Not all college athletes get scholarships, and not all scholarships are free rides. The universities are making millions upon millions of dollars off these athletes, and why not compensate them? Let them all go on strike and refuse to suit up for March Madness or for the BCS championship games and see what happens. I say more power to them.

rickerb Loc: utah

Something needs to be done. Leave it to Northwestern Players to do this. I applaud them.

granpa steve Loc: north fort myers, fl

Amen brother, they get a free ride for a college education and national exposure to show off there god given talent, that helps them to a pro car.yes take away there free ride to college and see what happens.

HEART Loc: God's Country - COLORADO

I benefited from 4 years of athletic scholarships; believe the "play for pay" crowd have it all wrong. Almost no one achieves pro status after college. Gifted athletes that can translate success into the pros, go for it! Enjoy the ride - you are benefitting on the backs of other students who have to pay for their college and aren't afforded the opportunity to profit from college - except when they begin working! Then the REAL payoff begins!!

PrairieSeasons Loc: Red River of the North

Northwestern is my alma mater, and I applaud them as well. The players at BCS schools have a legitimate beef and ought to have both a pay system and the ability to have collective bargaining. D2 and D3 not so much.

UP-2-IT, if the BCS schools paid the players salaries commensurate with their skills, risks and contribution, they would be getting a lot more than the scholarships they get at present.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

If they are eligible for the BCS or March Madness, they ARE on scholarship, trust me.

The perfect oxymoron: athletic scholarship

tschmath Loc: Los Angeles

try telling that to Richard Sherman, or Shaquille Oneal, or Kareem Abdul Jabbar, to name a few athletes who not only graduated from college, but did so with honors. ONeal even got his Masters, and Sherman graduated from high school with a 4.2 GPA. There are plenty of athlete scholars.

rickerb Loc: utah

Some, I repeat some college bb players can't afford to buy anything. A scholarship is fine but some spending money is needed. You know,,,clothes a pizza. c'mon

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Yes, there are. However, the rest greatly outnumber them. The sad fact is that these like you mention would very well have succeeded in life without athletics, but the others might well have not.

Many of them wouldn't even have made it to college because they weren't qualified to be there in the first place. I taught at a university for 26 years, and the scholar athletes were few and far between. Many slide through only with the help of special advisors getting them into the "right" classes, athletic department-paid tutors, downright cheating, and the like. I was even pressured by a dean once because I gave an athlete a bad grade.

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

If they want collective bargaining, no problem but I doubt any of them would be paid enough to pay for their college tuition especially the first two years. I know of 18 that already went out the door to a pro career this year. This would have not been possible if they had been receiving a salary vs scholarship money. Starting a career that will pay them much more than the other seniors at LSU this year, those that can only dream of getting a decent paying job.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Young Men and Women who participate in college athletics make millions for their respective schools and get literally nothing in return. A scholarship for as long as they play, once injured and out, they are on their own. Physical injuries that will haunt them for life without any insurance coverage. Why should a coach make $5 mil per year when his star athletes make nothing?

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

How can you call it an Oxymoron when there are more than athletic scholarships.

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

Do you have any idea how the money brought in by sports is utilized by colleges. Every person enrolled benefits from it. Thew simple fact of kicking an oblong ball around a field does not warrant a salary. The scholarship monies received more than compensates the players.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Trust me, it's not the athletes from working, middle or higher income homes that need help. With a scholarship, the parents can afford to give Johnny spending money. It's those families who are, in fact, struggling to feed the other mouths in the family and cannot afford to give spending money to their athlete in college that perhaps needs some help. The problem is that even in off-season, these athletes are prohibited from working as a condition of their scholarship. I believe that they are given a small amount of spending money, but nothing that we'd call sufficient. Perhaps, based on financial need, these athletes should be allowed more money to meet other needs such as clothing and modest social outings. When my Dad played at Michigan in the late thirties there were no scholarships. He worked in the off-season just to make enough for tuition and books. Tom Harmon didn't even have a scholarship. In those days, local merchants would give the football players deals on clothing to help them financially. It was a different day. However, to pay a kid who is from a family who can afford to provide for him should not even be under consideration.