Players ponder the Big Ten’s expected role in a $1 billion deal
Players ponder the Big Ten’s expected role in a $1 billion deal: Myles Dread was proud and valued to hear that the Big Ten Conference had signed the richest annual television contract in college sports. Sierra Brooks, a member of the Michigan gymnastics team, is looking forward to being on television all year. Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud thinks the money should be shared with student-athletes who generate it.
Betting on the Big Ten conference, FOX, NBC and CBS will be splitting the rights for sports of the conference. It’s estimated that the price is around a billion dollars annually. Many student-athletes are now wondering if they’ll benefit from it with some money coming their way.
In response to the contract, Dread said they were happy that their efforts on the field were being paid off by the attendees. Even though it might not be seen visibly on the stat sheet, he says their work is worth investing in even if viewers aren’t keeping up with them.
Brooks’ interest with money came second to the potential for advancing her career and gaining national attention by appearing on television shows. In 2017, it was difficult for Brooks’ family to watch her compete because SEC gymnastic women appeared on ESPN only Friday nights and Big Ten gymnasts were inconsistently available for both sporadic coverage and on different days of the week.
Brooks expects this deal to help the Big Ten to always remain one of the top conferences in college sports. This is due to its even playing field, as well as standing on more solid footing.
Though TV broadcasters don’t put much stock in NCAA athletes, male student-athletes produce revenue for colleges. While discussing his time at Wisconsin on Thursday, the athletic director acknowledged how the ‘value’ an athlete can bring to a school is financially limited.
Xavier Johnson, a point guard on the basketball team at Indiana University said that players’ getting “a small percentage of a billion-dollar deal” would be fair. He says people only come in to watch the players play, not because of monetizable corporate sponsorships.
Brooks feels that youth athletes should have a piece of the pie when there are billions to be made. She’s not sure where gymnastics would fit in with more popular sports like football and basketball. Brooks feels that the popularity appeal of these sports deserve to make the most money, but then again, he thinks there might be room for gymnastic in the future because its viewership numbers are smaller than she’s lead to believe.
Student-athletes may be compensated in the form of benefits that they receive from coaches, trainers, sports psychologists, nutritionists and academic specialists. Gene Smith, Ohio State University’s athletic director, made this clear on Thursday.
Now, the NCAA and television revenue have paved the way for players to earn a good living playing college sports. I’m afraid the current system is unsustainable for schools, so I’m out. The bottom line is: it’s about time schools started recognizing the investments being made by athletes.
Even if the extension of the Big Ten’s deal does not result in direct payments to students, some athletes were hopeful that it would increase their opportunities for brand deals. Brooks said that more TV viewership could help with their visibility which could lead to N.I.L. deals.
Johnson believes that the overwhelming amount of money in college football helps players prepare for the next level. The professional feel this sport takes on gives college athletes an exciting time to play, he said.