Vice Documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaNgHkTBrRs

Why College Athletes Don't Get Paid | Vice on HBO

The top 5 conferences in the NCAA earned $6 billion dollars. This documentary travelled with the Michigan State basketball team. Not even a minute into the documentary a player is asked if it is hard to take advantage of academics while playing basketball? The player, Lourawls Nairn Jr., responds, “Definitely. I think that’s what a lot of people don’t see. You know, being a student athlete, missing a lot of school. One time, my freshman year, we played Duke and we got home at three in the morning and I had an 8 am and I had to be there.” He then added, “It’s a sacrifice, but it’s worth it.” 

 Martin Jenkins was a cornerback for Clemson University. He expected to have a career in the NFL, but had to have 4 surgeries throughout his college career. He went to training camp with the New York Jets and experienced other injuries and realized it was time for him to hang up his jersey. Martin Jenkins missed out on his prime-earning years, because he was not allowed to make a profit from playing college football, even though Clemson brought in $70 million in just one football season. 

Peyton Barber was a running back for Auburn. Barber made the SEC Academic Honor Roll his sophomore year, showing academic promise. He was forced to forego his senior year of college to enter the NFL Draft. His mother was homeless at the time and his only option to help was to enter the Draft. He was not picked up in the Draft, but received a free agency contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Free agents do not receive nearly as much money as drafter players do. Peyton Barber was asked if he received compensation in college would he have stayed to finish his college playing and academic career, he answered yes. If Peyton was receiving compensation he would have played his last year of college, received a college degree, and most importantly been given another season to show his ability to NFL teams, most likely leading to an earlier pick in the Draft, meaning a greater salary and signing bonus.

When Rutgers and Maryland joined the Big Ten, it expanded the Big Ten’s reach into the Northeast, as well as brought in 8 million more households. Rutgers and Maryland do not compete at the same level as other Big Ten schools and many believe that the decision for RU and Maryland to join the conference was revenue-based, rather than competition-based. This is a perfect example of the big business of college sports putting money over a core foundation of athletics, that being competitive rivalry. 

The documentary ends with a mother of a high school basketball player, soon-to-be entering the NCAA, speaking. She says that she always tells her son, "Take advantage of these colleges cause they gone take advantage of you." I found this line to be extremely powerful.