Among the biggest controversies in sports is the ongoing debate over whether the NCAA should compensate college athletes.

Across the country, states are beginning to pass legislation that would force the NCAA to reform its structure and redefine amateurism. In California, the recently passed Fair Pay to Play Act allows college athletes to hire agents and make money off endorsements. That and other ongoing proposals, including in New York, forced the NCAA — which annually reports more than $1 billion in revenue — to respond.

In late October, the NCAA’s board of governors unanimously voted to move toward allowing players to profit off their names, image and likeness. Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack said in a statement, “We appreciate and support the NCAA Board of Governors’ recent action that paves the way for student-athletes to benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness in a manner consistent with the collegiate model.”

As it stands now, college athletes aren’t allowed to receive compensation aside from their scholarships. In 2017, Central Florida’s kicker was ruled ineligible because he made money off his YouTube channel.

After the NCAA’s October decision, Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim addressed the issue after a preseason scrimmage against Carleton for five minutes and nine seconds, then walked away from the podium without taking follow-up questions. He called the situation a “real difficult puzzle” and said allowing players to profit would stir more inequality and other unintended consequences.

Jim Boeheim’s full remarks in response to NCAA decision on players profiting from their image/likeness. He spoke for a total of 5:09.

Final point: “I don’t know, we’ll see how it works out. I don’t have the answers for it.”

He walked away from the podium w/o taking follow ups. pic.twitter.com/S54iIRX8Z8

— Michael McCleary (@MikeJMcCleary) October 30, 2019

“It’s a good idea, but it’s a bad idea if it gets to a point where people are getting $20,000 here, $10,000, $15,000, $20,000,” Boeheim said. “If they go here, they’re going to get a $40,000 commercial. Because that’s what’s going to happen.”

“I don’t see it,” Boeheim added. “I don’t see how it’s good.”

Here’s how the rest of the head coaches at Syracuse see it. 

Dino Babers, Football

“First of all, I think it’s good that people can use their own likenesses for financial gain,” Babers told Brent Axe on ESPN radio in October. “That’s awesome, and kind of the American way.”

“From the NCAA standpoint, we gotta be careful, because it’s going to be really interesting how they balance it out for everyone,” Babers said in that interview. “Because if you’re talking about a quarterback or running back getting benefits, you know, it’s interesting that they probably wouldn’t get those benefits if it wasn’t for an O-lineman.

John Desko, Men’s Lacrosse

“I guess we’ve talked about that a little bit, not a lot because I’m not sure it would affect our sport,” Desko said. “I’m not so sure how many would pay for the likeness of a lacrosse player, but I’m sure maybe there’s a couple locally that would be interested. But it’s all speculation for me at this point.”

Gary Gait, Women’s Lacrosse

“I actually haven’t even thought about it, so it doesn’t affect our team. So haven’t even worried about it, haven’t really put any time into that,” Gait said.

Quentin Hillsman, Women’s Basketball

“The hard thing about college is this: You come to college, and you’re an athlete, and you work hard, play for your university,” Hillsman said.

“I have no problem with players being compensated fairly. And I believe in that. I think that some of the things that they’re doing for cost of attendance and things like that has accomplished that. So, whatever the powers that be rule on that, I’m good with it,” Hillsman said.

Nicky Adams, Women’s Soccer

Adams has been involved in college sports for more than 20 years. As a player in the late-1990s, Adams led Texas A&M to two Big 12 titles and was nominated for the Herman Award — the women’s soccer version of the Heisman Trophy — twice.

Despite her experience, Adams said she doesn’t have a strong opinion on the issue, calling it a “crazy topic where there’s so much that goes into it.”

“We’re still trying to figure everything out,” Adams said.

Brien Bell, Cross Country/Track and Field

Bell said his view aligns with Wildhack and he takes the university’s stance on the issue. When asked about the proposed legislation in New York that would pay college athletes evenly based on each athletic department’s annual revenue, Bell had no comment.

Ange Bradley, Field Hockey

Bradley has been coaching college field hockey since 1991, but she said she’s “really not familiar with the rules or laws” of paying college athletes. Bradley noted that paying players is “beyond what we do,” but “to have an education is an outstanding opportunity for anyone in life.”

As a non-revenue sport, field hockey likely wouldn’t be a sport significantly affected by college athletes being able to profit off their names, images and likenesses. The proposed legislation in New York, though, would make Bradley’s players compensated just as much as Boeheim’s. Still, Bradley said she hasn’t thought about that possibility.

 Paul Flanagan, Ice Hockey

“I don’t look at it probably like coach Boeheim, coach Babers and coach Desko, I guess. In our sport I don’t think it’s that much of an issue. So, do I think that some of these kids in these more high-profile sports are deserving of some type of remuneration? I don’t know,” Flanagan said.

Flanagan added: “You look at a school like ours, or just down the road a school like Colgate, that’s got all these Division I sports, how are schools going to do it financially?… In some way shape or form some of these elite athletes, they’re rewarded eventually…I think that somewhere in there maybe there will be a compromise, but I don’t have the answer to that.”

Leonid Yelin, Volleyball

“I know what you want to ask, but you know, I don’t even have (an) answer,” Yelin said. “You can ask, but I don’t have – I don’t think so, not me. I don’t think anyone has (an) answer (right) now.”

“I’m just telling you in the future. You can ask anyone (on the team). I can tell you, nobody is going to give you an answer just because nobody knows (the solution),” Yelin said.

Shannon Doepking, Softball

“I think softball is so far off from that, that it is not really something that we think about, to be honest. I think softball is just a different beast in its own that it is not something that I think is going to affect us in any way,” Doepking said. “So honestly, it is not something that I think about ever.”

Younes Limam, Tennis

“Quite honestly, right now, we have more things to worry about,” Limam said. “I haven’t really thought about it too much.”

Dave Reischman and Luke McGee, Men’s and Women’s Rowing

Reischman “respectfully” declined to comment, and McGee did not respond when asked whether college athletes should get paid.

Syracuse men’s soccer head coach Ian McIntyre could not be reached for comment.

Published on March 8, 2020 at 11:16 pm