Hypothetical – How much is an NCAA player worth?

 realistically any money would be welcomed by the players on the roster, most kids are not in the best financial situations and after all they are college kids, the scholarship does not even come to close to covering absolutely everything

 realistically any money would be welcomed by the players on the roster, most kids are not in the best financial situations and after all they are college kids, the scholarship does not even come to close to covering absolutely everything

 Collge players are more than well compensated

– NCAA

 Collge players are more than well compensated

– NCAA

This article attempts to make an estimate. I don’t really think that amount is feasible, something closer to the stipend that graduate students make is more realistic.

This article attempts to make an estimate. I don’t really think that amount is feasible, something closer to the stipend that graduate students make is more realistic.

 $3.50

 $3.50

$2,000 to $4,000 a month is more than reasonable.   Just do audits of the campuses more often.  It’s not like the NCAA doesn’t make Millions (if not Billions) off these students.    

The main reason they need some type of stipend is for things that’s not connected to regular school activities.  The mere fact that they can’t get a job is more than enough reason to set them up with some type of stipend.   Even a kid that’s on a full academic scholarship is able to work to make ends meet.  

$2,000 to $4,000 a month is more than reasonable.   Just do audits of the campuses more often.  It’s not like the NCAA doesn’t make Millions (if not Billions) off these students.    

The main reason they need some type of stipend is for things that’s not connected to regular school activities.  The mere fact that they can’t get a job is more than enough reason to set them up with some type of stipend.   Even a kid that’s on a full academic scholarship is able to work to make ends meet.  

 Whaaaat?? 4 grand a month!!? Son, d league and wnba players don’t make that much a month!!!

 Whaaaat?? 4 grand a month!!? Son, d league and wnba players don’t make that much a month!!!

 I guess to answer the question about how much Andrew Wiggins would be worth, we have to ask and answer: how much is a championship worth?  

If say, the University of Kentucky makes an additional 5 million dollars from winning a chip, then I think the cap for a roster of 12 should be half of that.  So, at Kentucky the 10 McD All-Americans that they had last year should have been paid 200-250K each, plus their scholarship amounts.

Wiggins was so hyped that he could have commanded even more… say 350-400K.

Then again, the true revenie figures of the elite schools will never be released because it is not public money for the most part.  All of the boosters who pay coach K 10 mill per year, and the players get how much?

 I guess to answer the question about how much Andrew Wiggins would be worth, we have to ask and answer: how much is a championship worth?  

If say, the University of Kentucky makes an additional 5 million dollars from winning a chip, then I think the cap for a roster of 12 should be half of that.  So, at Kentucky the 10 McD All-Americans that they had last year should have been paid 200-250K each, plus their scholarship amounts.

Wiggins was so hyped that he could have commanded even more… say 350-400K.

Then again, the true revenie figures of the elite schools will never be released because it is not public money for the most part.  All of the boosters who pay coach K 10 mill per year, and the players get how much?

 Most guys aren’t worth more than free room and board.  

A few hundred a month would be fine.  

Somebody has to pay for higher stipends — usually other students who can least afford it.  

I would actually like to see a draft.  Each qualified team gets a pick with a bias towards territorial picks.

The top draft pick gets $100,000 a year.  

 Most guys aren’t worth more than free room and board.  

A few hundred a month would be fine.  

Somebody has to pay for higher stipends — usually other students who can least afford it.  

I would actually like to see a draft.  Each qualified team gets a pick with a bias towards territorial picks.

The top draft pick gets $100,000 a year.  

 Depends who would own image rights too I guess. If you were a big fan of a powerhouse team lets say Kansas, Kentucky, Duke etc to have an actual KAT/Okafor top to wear whilst they are playing would be attractive,

But the powerhouse teams would pull in the better players even nore if they could offer them the most lucrative contracts,

 Depends who would own image rights too I guess. If you were a big fan of a powerhouse team lets say Kansas, Kentucky, Duke etc to have an actual KAT/Okafor top to wear whilst they are playing would be attractive,

But the powerhouse teams would pull in the better players even nore if they could offer them the most lucrative contracts,

Youre worth whatever someone is prepared to pay you.

I honestly think that in a free market…someone like Ben Simmons would get offers of over 1m per season. I realise thats a lot of money for a teenager…but his age isnt really relevent.

If you were to take LSUs profits from basketball in 2014 vs 2015…id be surprised if all things being equal, they werent several million dollars better off.

And theres only one reason for that….Simmons. 

Therefore shouldnt he deserve at least a significant portion of that. Then theyd be able to use his image more fairly on jerseys etc.

The NBA splits revenue 50/50 with the players. That would seem a fair starting point.

The thing is….if LSU didnt pay him that money, Kentucky could easily afford to pay someone like Simmons or Anthony Davis $1m to be the face of the team.

Star players in Europe get way more money than that…and those leagues earn significantly less than the NCAA ($$$$)

Thoughts?

Youre worth whatever someone is prepared to pay you.

I honestly think that in a free market…someone like Ben Simmons would get offers of over 1m per season. I realise thats a lot of money for a teenager…but his age isnt really relevent.

If you were to take LSUs profits from basketball in 2014 vs 2015…id be surprised if all things being equal, they werent several million dollars better off.

And theres only one reason for that….Simmons. 

Therefore shouldnt he deserve at least a significant portion of that. Then theyd be able to use his image more fairly on jerseys etc.

The NBA splits revenue 50/50 with the players. That would seem a fair starting point.

The thing is….if LSU didnt pay him that money, Kentucky could easily afford to pay someone like Simmons or Anthony Davis $1m to be the face of the team.

Star players in Europe get way more money than that…and those leagues earn significantly less than the NCAA ($$$$)

Thoughts?

I think that the first thing that the top basketball programs would have to do is to separate from the NCAA.  If that were to happen then we would start to see what the market value of an elite college basketball player is.  

It’s interesting to think that a 4 year senior might get paid a lot more than a 5* one and done, if that 4 year senior was loved by the fans and they all bought his jersey and merchandise.  Personally I would love to have a purely market-driven salary scale for these elite players.  It would do away with a lot of shady recruiting crap, and players would have a very clear understanding of their own value.  

It’s absolutely insane that coach K makes nearly 10 million dollars per year, and Calipari makes 8ish, and so many IA coaches at crappy "mid-major" programs are making a mill a year.  It’s like, yeah it’s ok for everyone else involved in college athletics to negotiate as big a paycheck as they possibly can, but not the actual elite athletes who make it all happen.  Bullsh*t.  

I think that the first thing that the top basketball programs would have to do is to separate from the NCAA.  If that were to happen then we would start to see what the market value of an elite college basketball player is.  

It’s interesting to think that a 4 year senior might get paid a lot more than a 5* one and done, if that 4 year senior was loved by the fans and they all bought his jersey and merchandise.  Personally I would love to have a purely market-driven salary scale for these elite players.  It would do away with a lot of shady recruiting crap, and players would have a very clear understanding of their own value.  

It’s absolutely insane that coach K makes nearly 10 million dollars per year, and Calipari makes 8ish, and so many IA coaches at crappy "mid-major" programs are making a mill a year.  It’s like, yeah it’s ok for everyone else involved in college athletics to negotiate as big a paycheck as they possibly can, but not the actual elite athletes who make it all happen.  Bullsh*t.  

 Some of these colleges cost $30,000 a year in tuition and room and board. These kids get it for free. 

The average 19-year-old working full-time is going to make probably less than $30,000 a year. 

 Are we forgetting that a lot of people are still paying back their college loans when they’re 40? I am so sick of the whining and griping and acting like college athletes are such exploited victims. They get tons of exposure, they get an experience of a lifetime, they get to travel the country and be on TV, and they get to become famous. Oh, and on top of that, a four-year education that’s worth anywhere from $120,000 to $200,000. That is nothing to whine about. 

 Some of these colleges cost $30,000 a year in tuition and room and board. These kids get it for free. 

The average 19-year-old working full-time is going to make probably less than $30,000 a year. 

 Are we forgetting that a lot of people are still paying back their college loans when they’re 40? I am so sick of the whining and griping and acting like college athletes are such exploited victims. They get tons of exposure, they get an experience of a lifetime, they get to travel the country and be on TV, and they get to become famous. Oh, and on top of that, a four-year education that’s worth anywhere from $120,000 to $200,000. That is nothing to whine about. 

 For as much money as some of the best players in college generate for their schools, I could see some of them being worth more than a million.  Probably a few million for the elite at big schools.

 For as much money as some of the best players in college generate for their schools, I could see some of them being worth more than a million.  Probably a few million for the elite at big schools.

There has actually been a fair amount of attention on this topic in the fields of labor and sports economics. One particularly good paper, if you are very board and have time, is "Alternative Approaches to Measuring MRP: Are All Men’s College Basketball Players Exploited?" by Lane, Nagel, and Netz.

Skipping to their conclusion… Out of the players that are eventually drafted into the NBA, schools profit between $7,000 to $1.8 million off of each of these players, with an average of $400,000.

Considering these values are estimated as marginal revenue product, it would be fair to assume that those values are a decent estimation of what an NCAA player would get paid in an open market. Of course assuming that paying players would not drastically change the landscape of college basketball and create a bubble (which it probably would.)

There has actually been a fair amount of attention on this topic in the fields of labor and sports economics. One particularly good paper, if you are very board and have time, is "Alternative Approaches to Measuring MRP: Are All Men’s College Basketball Players Exploited?" by Lane, Nagel, and Netz.

Skipping to their conclusion… Out of the players that are eventually drafted into the NBA, schools profit between $7,000 to $1.8 million off of each of these players, with an average of $400,000.

Considering these values are estimated as marginal revenue product, it would be fair to assume that those values are a decent estimation of what an NCAA player would get paid in an open market. Of course assuming that paying players would not drastically change the landscape of college basketball and create a bubble (which it probably would.)