UNT will determine COA stipends soon

Ben Gooding · July 24, 2015

I mean...we can have that discussion, but could we perhaps start by first examining this statement and admitting it's pretty damn disturbing and that maybe a simple re-evaluation of our priorities would nip the stipend question in the bud.

No. Paying players money is dumb. Most of your oponions are likewise.

These dudes (specifically at football factories, but not exclusively though) can't seem to stay out of serious trouble as is. Now we're going to start giving them money to use for their shanannigans? It's bullshit. Universities do not need one player. Every single one of them are replaceable at the drop of a hat. They (the players & universities) need to realize that. If a player doesn't like it, bye Felicia.

forevereagle · July 24, 2015

No. Paying players money is dumb. Most of your oponions are likewise.

So your argument is "you're dumb and I'm right"? Also, I believe op-onions is hyphenated.

the green rokemi · July 24, 2015

I thought that too -- wonder if the fact that they need to provide additional assistance for gas etc based on their location or just want to boost up the amount to make them more competitive? Or perhaps A&M offers free summer school or other perks that Tech does not include in their standard offer? No offense to Tech but I would say they are not in the same realm of player as A&M is recruiting at this particular time. Seems like A&M is battling more with Texas and SEC teams. It will be interesting to see the breakdown.

but look how it compares to tcu. Tcu is around 4700 and in the dfw area. Private school makes it more maybe? A teenager is not going to do the homework, they will compare stipends unfortunately

Coach Andy Mac · July 24, 2015

but look how it compares to tcu. Tcu is around 4700 and in the dfw area. Private school makes it more maybe? A teenager is not going to do the homework, they will compare stipends unfortunately

I would think private schools would have a higher cost of attendance. It should be equal among all schools.

oldguystudent · July 24, 2015

I actually don't mind the stipends, but I hope they ratchet-up the punishments for any team found guilty of under-the-table stuff now that the students should be able to "live comfortably".

Right about now, Eric Dickerson is pissed that he STILL can't talk.

KRAM1 · July 24, 2015

how is seeking the fairest wage for your work and efforts entitlement?

So....you say they are employees working for a wage? More crap-ola.

Entitlement mentality plain and simple.

oldguystudent · July 24, 2015

So....you say they are employees working for a wage? More crap-ola.
Entitlement mentality plain and simple.

Well, they kinda have been in the bigger conferences for decades. The famous quote out of SMU back in the day was, "But we've got payroll to make!" Might as well bring that above board. And while we're at it, make the stipend taxable. The scholarship for tuition, room, books, would be non-taxable and reported on a 1098-T. The rest would be W-2 with FICA and income tax withheld.

oldguystudent · July 24, 2015

No. Paying players money is dumb. Most of your oponions are likewise.
These dudes (specifically at football factories, but not exclusively though) can't seem to stay out of serious trouble as is.

Heard on the ticket today that the players at Florida State voted in favor of a ban on going to bars and clubs as part of the rules of conduct for being on the team. I think that's a great step and hope it becomes a trend.

GMG24 · July 24, 2015

Heard on the ticket today that the players at Florida State voted in favor of a ban on going to bars and clubs as part of the rules of conduct for being on the team. I think that's a great step and hope it becomes a trend.

yes... I'm sure that'll happen. Come on be serious.

oldguystudent · July 24, 2015

yes... I'm sure that'll happen. Come on be serious.

Well, the Florida State thing did happen.

GMG24 · July 25, 2015

I have 0 belief that they will abide by this, there is no way you have the kind of culture that program has and guys wont be going to clubs or bars

greenminer · July 25, 2015

What a friggin' mess! Pure crap-ola. So, getting that scholarship isn't enough. Now the school has to pay for your cell phone and tattoos. Great!
Now, the gulf gets even bigger between the programs who have donors willing to step up and actually act big time as opposed to those who just like to flap their lips. Perfect...
Sad day in college sports. just another example of the entitlement mentality. Good grief.

Casey Fitzgerald.

Green P1 · July 25, 2015

BOOM ROASTED

ChristopherRyanWilkes · July 25, 2015

So now that Texas High School football is getting huge and is now on TV, should we give all 6A/5A football players a stipend?
Some of these big time colleges charge an arm and a leg for tuition and these kids are getting a free tuition with books and a place to stay with meals included. I say give them more swag and gifts but not all this money. Or give them the stipend and charge them for tuition and books. One way or the other but thats just my opinion

There aren't high school stadiums with larger capacities than the NFL like college. Not even comparable. They show high school on Fox Sports local maybe, not ESPN with several million viewers every game.

So....you say they are employees working for a wage? More crap-ola.
Entitlement mentality plain and simple.

Absolutely, entertainment employees like all athletes, and we as consumers are paying high dollar for it. Say what you will about European soccer, but they don't pretend that athletics is anything but a business. To Wither's point, they sign them up at a young age, give them a place to live and a "stipends." Is it not entitlement to pay for something and expect that money to not be distributed to the entertainers? We are okay with it for 18-year-old minor league baseball players, playing for much smaller crowds mind you, and not the "minors" of professional football?

Edited July 25, 2015 by ChristopherRyanWilkes

oldguystudent · July 25, 2015

At some point, this is going to go full blown free market with players successfully suing for the right to go free agent and bounce from school to school with no loss of eligibility. Then will come the four-year contracts with signing bonuses. At some point, I suspect the NFL and NBA will retool their draft rules to allow them to directly subsidize college payer contracts in exchange for rights to that player.

UNT will not be part of this process. We won't. No amount of thrashing about and swearing at Lee Jackson or RV will make it so.

GMG24 · July 25, 2015

Maybe it's just time to pull our heads out of the sand and realize a vast majority of college students as well as student athletes really struggle to make ends meet. We were all there. The difference between student, and student-athlete, when student is done with classes etc they have the option to go work and make some $. Student athletes entire day is taken up usually from around 7:30-8/9 at night during season. You can call it what you want, entitlement is not anywhere on my radar. These kids bust their ass to represent our university in the best way they can. I'm all for taking away one stress on them. Hell, just go look and Byrds old tweets they used to ask if anyone had food bc their fridge had nothing left and their checks hadn't come in yet. Is that how you want our athletes treated? Not eating or eating crap and expecting them to perform? I find that to be ludacris.

On on the flip side, I think the first time something is reported or found out as that money isn't going to the appropriate cause there should be penalties and maybe loss of a portion of it, if it happens a second time no money for a year, a third time and you don't get anymore money. I also loved someone post about violations and under the table money those SEC schools love to do, they should crank up the heat and drop the hammer on those schools. Take 6 hours of practice a week away, take 10 scholarships away.

Ben Gooding · July 25, 2015

Byrd could have ate at Victory. Damn fine cafeteria. Let's not act as if our athletes are shipped to Ethiopia between games and in the offseason. They're well taken care of. And athletes at factories are treated like royalty. This is all just BS, utter BS.

shaft · July 25, 2015

I'm not wild about stipends, but that's the way college football is headed.

Giving players more money to get off campus and away from the athletic dorms is going to result in player conduct issues nation wide.

oldguystudent · July 25, 2015

I'm not wild about stipends, but that's the way college football is headed.
Giving players more money to get off campus and away from the athletic dorms is going to result in player conduct issues nation wide.

On the bright side, maybe our players won't need to steal from Walmart so often.

MEANGREENCOACH2 · July 25, 2015

Florida state sets rule were players can't go to bars. UNT sets rules players can't go to walmart!!!

GrandGreen · July 25, 2015

I can't believe all the animosity toward players because of stipend issue. Not many realize what college level players go through to play at that level and ignore the fact that all of them have and would continue to play without stipends. However, if stipends are available they are certainly going to expect it. I am sure most of you would turn down an across the board raise if offered.

IMO, with coaches salaries continuing to rise; universities don't have much of a case arguing against the ones who actually play and take the risk getting a bigger piece of the pie. Yes, very few university athletic departments are close to being break even without large infusions of state, student funds or other university transfers of funds, but that doesn't stop them from paying ridiculous salaries for a non-profit entity.

Having said that, I do think the NCAA continues to do almost everything to satisfy the powers and overall make the games less and less competitive.

Ben Gooding · July 25, 2015

I can't believe all the animosity toward players because of stipend issue. Not many realize what college level players go through to play at that level and ignore the fact that all of them have and would continue to play without stipends. However, if stipends are available they are certainly going to expect it. I am sure most of you would turn down an across the board raise if offered.
IMO, with coaches salaries continuing to rise; universities don't have much of a case arguing against the ones who actually play and take the risk getting a bigger piece of the pie. Yes, very few university athletic departments are close to being break even without large infusions of state, student funds or other university transfers of funds, but that doesn't stop them from paying ridiculous salaries for a non-profit entity.
Having said that, I do think the NCAA continues to do almost everything to satisfy the powers and overall make the games less and less competitive.

My issue is not the stipend. The idea of it is fine. There are no guidelines to it, no base amount and from what I have read no real limit. What some of you knuckleheads are refusing to come to terms with is this is a game that the University of North Texas will not be able to keep up or sustain without success on the football field. Well, history has a tendency to repeat itself so longevity and North Texas' outlook is grim. The supporters of this are dominantly in the P5 and that should come as no coincidence. This is going to exponentially widen that imaginary gap that already obviously exists. For us, as diehards of a G5 program to root for this, is beyond stupidity. This will only result in bad things for us and I can't really emphasize that enough and how some can't see that is beyond me. This is a black-hole to professionalism, nothing more and nothing less. Unfortunately, North Texas isn't going to ever be sucked into that hole unless some serious support increases from the administration, donor levels, attendance, research improvements to gain Tier 1 and maybe the most important, winning. And, to be honest, I don't want to be sucked into professionalism athletics. I am a college football fan and not a NFL fan for reasons and professionalism vs amateurism sits at the top of those reasons.

GMG24 · July 25, 2015

Yep Ben Gooding. I am sure when they're sitting at home looking at their refrigerator being empty, the first thing on their mind is getting in their car (if they have one) driving to campus (more $) and going to the cafeteria where they may or may not have a meal plan? Get over yourself.

Ben Gooding · July 25, 2015

Yep Ben Gooding. I am sure when they're sitting at home looking at their refrigerator being empty, the first thing on their mind is getting in their car (if they have one) driving to campus (more $) and going to the cafeteria where they may or may not have a meal plan? Get over yourself.

Full ride scholarship players are the ones that this new CoA is designed to benefit, no? These same full ride scholarship players are given just that, the full ride. Meal plan, room, a sweet cafeteria, free books, free tuition, free tutors, study halls designated specifically for them, free UNT apparel, entertainment centers tapped out to the max (not entirely tapped out at UNT, but my God look at other places), traveling expenses for the family of players to travel to bowl games and who knows what other amount of incentives tied to the "free ride." IF they are sitting at their own off campus apartment then THEY are the ones that need to get over themselves. No one is too good to live on campus for 4 years. 21 year olds don't rate anything except for what they have earned in an actual real world job. Again, these players don't have to be here. Every last one of them are replaceable. If they didn't like the previous CoA standards in place, piss off and don't play. These guys act like they are Chinese slaves destined to have the Great Wall as their burial ground. No one forces them to play football. No one. And you have the audacity to tell me to get over myself. Cute.

KRAM1 · July 25, 2015

Meaning what?

That there are exceptions to everything perhaps, so......your point?

Still crap-ola and a pure entitlement mentality. Scholarship worth thousands and thousands, graduating without much or any debt, being treated to special academic counseling that regular students do not get, receiving plenty of housing and free meals....that's not enough? School needs to pay for tattoos, cell phones and dates now?

look...if you are in favor of this crap...good for you. Your opinion and you are welcome to it. For me...this is pure crap and a symptom of a much bigger problem within our great nation.

But, it is what it is....if you think this crap ends here, you are sadly mistaken.

Edited July 25, 2015 by KRAM1