Event Recap: Bo Moon '99

On April 14, 2014, Bo Moon ’99 addressed the ILR Sports Business Society on the future of sports. A graduate of the College of Engineering, Moon currently leads sports and gaming initiatives at Samsung. He also co-founded Bloomberg Sports, several years after joining Bloomberg as a product manager. Before his tenure at Bloomberg, Moon had stints at PricewaterhouseCoopers, iCollection and Prudential.

During his discussion with the Society, Moon shared advice for students interested in entering the field of sports. Most salient was a point to show people in the field what you have done so far and what you can do in the future, as demonstrating value is absolutely essential to establishing oneself in this competitive industry. As an “intrapreneur” building up Samsung Sports and Gaming, Moon very clearly showcased how getting results matters, especially early on when establishing a venture like Samsung S&G or BSports.

Moon took time to listen to each club member’s future plans in the sport industry, providing insights into specific ways to start a career. He also emphasized that there were many ways to enter the sports world outside the traditional internships and jobs with teams, leagues, agencies, and networks. Increasingly, companies in every industry are attempting to carve out a spot in the sports landscape. In his role at Samsung, Moon hopes to take the company’s sports footprint far beyond being a jersey sponsor. He highlighted Samsung, and some competitors, as being non-traditional sports companies with significant and growing presences in the industry.

Moon also touched on how the industry was preparing for the possible legalization of sports gambling in the United States. The American sports betting market would be extremely lucrative, and many companies have begun maneuvering to take advantage of a change in policy. Moon stressed that leagues could miss out on large revenue streams if they do not embrace the gambling market, and mentioned the NBA as a league that has already begun to sell their in-game statistics to sports books.

Given his responsibilities growing both companies, Moon’s insights into the recent focus on sports data touched on topics ranging from predictive analytics and fantasy sports enhancement to broadcast packages and evaluation tools for teams. He also commented on a number of best practices pertaining to content and data, highlighting the advantages to properties emphasizing new media and strong technology. His main points focused on engaging the end user, something he made clear was a priority at Samsung. Moon predicted all user interface would become more targeted an personalized in the future, which has value to both companies and individuals.

As always, ILRSBS thanks alumni like Bo Moon who take time to speak to our members. The knowledge and experience they share are invaluable to students aspiring to work in the sports industry.  We greatly appreciated hosting Bo and we look forward to staying connected in the future!

Adam Kirsch contributed to this post.

Blogger Roundtable: Which League Will Grow the Most? (Part I)

h/t to Business Insider

The four major U.S. sports leagues in the United States generate massive amounts of revenue.  Although there is great disparity between the leagues, each has considerable potential for growth.  In today's post, we'll be asking some of SBS's E-board members which league's stock they would be buying.  Tomorrow, we'll look at what our featured bloggers have to say.  So here's the question:

Which of the four traditional major professional sports leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL) will experience the highest percentage growth in revenue over the next 20 years?

Gabe Cassillo (SBS VP of Magazine)- NBA

While there's not much certainty on any topic in the world nowadays, let alone sports, I believe it is a fairly educated guess to say that the NBA will experience the largest growth in revenue over the next 20 years. While Football may be the king of the day, the recent concussion concerns and long-term impact on quality of players lives cannot be overlooked. 20 years down the road puts us at the point in our lives when today's children will become the next crop of professional athletes. Basketball seems to have the international appeal and overall flashiness to keep up in today (and presumably tomorrow's) action-packed world of entertainment. I feel it is inevitable for the athletes that once would play football to slide over to the relatively safer and flashier sport in basketball.

Dan Cappetta (SBS Director of Finance)- NFL

I believe that increasingly advanced technology and a global economy will lead maximum growth to come through a league's expansion overseas in the next 20 years. To start, we can begin by narrowing the field through process of elimination. The NHL is probably the least likely to expand in my opinion--it currently generates the least revenue of the four major sports, and some star players are actually being pulled away from the NHL to play in leagues overseas that can offer absurd contracts, such as the Russian KHL (see Ilya Kovalchuk, Sergei Kotstitsyn). Growth potential looks bleak here. The NBA ranks above the NHL in revenue, but Commissioner Stern has said that he is uninterested in adding overseas teams. Stern's reign is coming to an end, so this may change, but without the willingness to expand, it won't happen.

The MLB ranks second in revenue, but the current structure of the game allows international markets to act as a sort of farm system for the league. Players in Central and South America, as well as Southeast Asia, namely Japan, funnel into the MLB promoting internal growth. Outside of these regions though, participation is minimal--there are only 2 European players in the league. The MLB's internal growth potential won't trump the possible expansion of the NFL, which is pushing its game on the rest of the world. As different cultures begin to understand and accept the game, and enjoy some of the aspects that Americans have come to love--the physicality, the once-a-week format, the live game experience, fantasy football, etc--growth potential is enormous. The league's talks to put a team in London is the first step. NFL will take the cake in this one.

Adam Kirsch (SBS Co-President)- MLB

I think we'll see Major League Baseball make major revenue gains.  The changing demographics of the United States, especially the projected growth of the Latino population, align closely with the high concentration of Latino players in the league and should benefit attendance and numbers and merchandise sales.  Furthermore, the league's edge in technology due to MLBAM's efforts will continue to keep the league ahead of the game (pun intended) in terms of online presence, a position I expect the league to continue to monetize successfully.

Blogger Roundtable: The Yankees' $189MM Question

The New York Yankees enter unchartered territory for a team used to two things: winning and spending money.  The front office has stated its desire to reduce spending next season to below the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) threshold of $189MM.  Doing so would not only alleviate the 50% tax on spending over the limit this season, but would reduce the rate to 17% in the next season they choose to spend big. 

But it will not be easy.  The team spent over $203MM last season and failed to make the playoffs for the second time in decades.  The team has some big holes to fill, along with a number of free agents who would demand big money to stay around.  And though internally the Yankees may wish to cut payroll, their fan base's expectations of October baseball are doubtful to change. Even GM Brian Cashman noted that $189MM "is a goal, not a mandate."

A possible attempt to slash CBT relevant spending appears to have failed in Derek Jeter's new $12MM contract.  It was thought that though it is an increase over the Captain's player option, that it would save on average annual value.  But though some complicated rules in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the deal will cost the Yankees more in both real dollars as well as those which count for CBT purposes.

But there are reasons to be optimistic. With many expensive players coming off the books, the Bombers will have some room to work with.  If Alex Rodriguez misses all or most of next season due to suspension, upwards of $25MM could be saved.  Additionally, key target Masahiro Tanaka will be expensive, but his massive posting fee will not hurt the Yankees attempt to slide under $189MM.  It will take some creativity and maybe some restraint, but it's entirely possible the club makes its stated goal.

So here's the question for our esteemed panel:

Will the Yankees spend less than the $189MM competitive balance tax threshold in 2014?

Jesse Sherman (Director of Operations, SBS)- No

The 2013 Yankees payroll was well over $200MM- and I don't see it decreasing drastically below the threshold. The Yankees have three players making over $23MM for 2014 (Rodriguez, Teixeira, and Sabathia), and that's not including Robinson Cano who will command the highest salary on the team (unless the sides can agree to a back-loaded contract). The aged Jeter just received a pay increase, and the Yankees will have to bolster their pitching staff by spending some money this offseason. But with over 98MM already being committed to just 7 players, the only chance they have of getting below the threshold is by not resigning Cano or Granderson. But even removing Granderson's contract and finding a steady replacement won't do the trick.

Adam Kirsch (Co-president, SBS)- No

I don't think the Yankees will make it under the tax threshold next year.  A great deal depends on how they choose to address key free agents – most notably Robinson Cano's call for a monster contract. A few arbitration-eligible players, such as Brett Gardner and David Robertson, will also likely cut into the Yankees' thrifty efforts. After missing the playoffs this year, I think that Cashman and Co. will not be afraid to spend to keep their key pieces in the Bronx.  
 

Kevin Cole (Featured Blogger)- Yes

 

It seems like the Yankees are fairly determined to get under the $189MM number. The club's behavior over the last couple of seasons would be hard to explain should they abandon this attempt to get under the Competitive Balance Tax Threshold, and it does seem like they are poised to meet their goal of lowering payroll to this level. The Yanks have a lot of cash coming off of the books this offseason from the likes of Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Kevin Youkillis, and others. Salary write-ups that I've seen give the Yanks around $70 million to play with this off-season in filling about 18 big league roster spots.

 

The Yanks obviously plan on giving a large portion of that amount to Robinson Cano. But, they could have an extra $27MM to play with, should A-Rod's suspension be upheld. If that happens, A-Rod's spot will need to be filled for 2014, but the team will have some additional freedom in making some free agent signings. Some are speculating that the Yanks are poised for a nice spending spree this off season, possibly for the likes of Masahiro Tanaka, Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran, and others. We'll see about that, but I believe the team is set to meet the $189MM goal, resign Cano, and perhaps one or two other high profile free agents. Whether or not they field a playoff contender, though, remains to be scene.

 

John Zakour (Featured Blogger)- No

 

I don't believe the Yankees will spend less than $189MM, but I believe it will be close. The fact the Yankees are serious about Cano and Tanaka means they likely won't let a few mil stop them (who would?). There situation is fluid, and may even change depending on A-Rod's punishment. But the fact we're talking about this is noteworthy. It indicates a paradigm shift, and shows the Yankees might actually be (somewhat) responsible with their contracts. The title of the freest spenders in baseball rests safely with the Dodgers.
 

Matthew Hakimian (Featured Blogger)- No

 

Not a chance the Yankees have a payroll under $189 million heading into the 2014 season. Although the team was marred by an obscene amount of injuries throughout the course of the year, GM Brian Cashman will ultimately get his way. Not only does the team desperately need to resign Robinson Cano, but it also has no idea what the future of A-Rod holds. Look for the Bombers to be in the market for the likes of Brian McCann and Japanese product Masahiro Tanaka. Don't we all remember what took place after the Yanks missed the playoffs in '08?

Adam Malz (Featured Blogger)- No

While the Yankees front office has repeatedly stated that their objective is to reduce their payroll to $189 million, I believe they will end up going over that by the end of this offseason. The Yankees are set to embark on an offseason similar to that of 08-09 when they spent $423 million on CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and A.J. Burnett. This year their targets include Robinson Cano, Carlos Beltran, Brain McCann, and Masahiro Tanaka. They will most likely end up spending over $300 million in contracts to the players that they ultimately sign. After this, it will be a huge financial challenge to get below the $189 million competitive balance tax threshold.
 

Event Recap: Gabe Gershenfeld ('11)

           

On April 16, 2012, Gabe Gershenfeld ’11 videoconferenced with the ILR Sports Business Society. A graduate of the School of Industrial and Labor Relations with minors in Economics and Information Science, Gabe currently works for the Cleveland Indians as a Strategic Analyst. Before coming to Cleveland, Gabe interned with Sara Lee, the San Diego Padres and Major League Baseball. He also was a presenter at the Evolution of Sport talks at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, discussing how Labor Relations, Human Resources and Sports intersect. While at Cornell, Gabe served as President of our organization, then called the ILR Sports Management Club. Gabe shared his career experiences and advice for students interested in entering the industry.

As an analyst, Gabe’s primary responsibilities relate strongly to the Indians’ development and execution of strategies. By using data to make decisions, Gabe and his colleagues improve the Indians’ approach to a number of business issues. Essentially, they focus on creating more effective and efficient ways for the franchise to make money.

 One thing Gabe touched on was the collaborative side of the business.  On the business side, teams are often willing to share best practices.  This is different from the highly competitive baseball operations field, where teams maintain a degree of secrecy to develop advantages.  By exchanging information about marketing, ticketing and other business competencies, franchises can make better decisions and drive more revenue.

Furthermore, Gabe discussed the importance of active networking and education.  Touching on the importance of developing as a professional early and often, he discussed how his internships and work at Cornell prepared him for his current job.  As a recent alum, his advice was particularly valuable to students, especially those preparing to enter the job market.

As always, ILRSBS thanks alumni like Gabe Gershenfeld who share their experiences in the sports industry with our members. We are truly appreciative of Gabe’s commitment to educating students on the sports industry and we hope to host him at another event in the future.

Event Preview: Rachel Jacobson

On Tuesday, the ILR Sports Business Society and ILR Women's Caucus will be teaming up to videochat with Rachel Jacobson '96, the NBA's Senior Vice President of Business Development.

Rachel's NBA career spans 16 years, covering business development, marketing partnerships, merchandising, licensing, event marketing and more. In her current role, Rachel is responsible for sponsorship sales for both the NBA and WNBA, new business development, special events and community outreach.

In 2010, SportsBusiness Journal named Rachel to its Forty Under 40 list. Rachel is a 1996 graduate of the School of Hotel Administration.

Event Recap: Tim McGhee '84

On October 12, 2012, Tim McGhee ’84 returned to Ithaca to talk to the ILR Sports Business Society. A graduate of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with a degree in business, Mr. McGhee founded MSP Sports, a specialized sports marketing consultancy with clients that include the New York Red Bulls, Merck, Major League Soccer and USA Luge. While visiting, McGhee shared his career experiences, gave an overview of the sports marketing field and shared advice for students interested in entering the industry.

A distinct theme throughout McGhee’s career has been that of entrepreneurship. Currently the principal of his own consulting firm, one of Tim’s first forays into sports marketing was by partnering with the University of North Carolina’s Alumni Association to operate a basketball fantasy camp. Leveraging the Tar Heels’ success on the hardwood, the small program developed into one of the first fantasy camps in the nation. Even though Tim’s next entrepreneurial venture came far later in his career, this experience showed him the excitement and potential that a career in sports marketing offered.

There are two distinct sides to sports marketing, the brand side and the property side. Brands seek to connect to consumers through sports, a “passion point” for many consumers. Likewise, properties can borrow brand equity if the fit is good. As opposed to professionals who came up on either the brand side or the agency side, McGhee honed his skills working on both sides. On the agency side, Tim worked at Momentum Worldwide, SFX and PSP Sports before moving on to IMG and then crossing over to work on the AT&T brand. While at AT&T, Tim managed a corporate sponsorship portfolio of over $100 million. Included were sponsorships of twenty pro teams, the NCAA and professional golf. After nearly five years as AT&T’s Executive Director of Sponsorships, Tim returned to IMG to serve as the Senior Vice President of Corporate Consulting. Two years later, Tim returned to his roots as a sports entrepreneur to launch MSP Sports, the consultancy he operates today.

As a consultant, Tim helps brands and properties come together to execute marketing strategies and meet business objectives. Essentially, he needs to find the best way to plan and execute a strategy that ties together the audience (fans and consumers), the brand (a sponsoring corporation) and a property (a sports team, venue, league or player). At the intersection of these three elements is a “sweet spot,” where all involved parties can benefit. Successful sports marketing activations fall in this sweet spot. However, Tim mentioned the importance of giving a client good advice. For example, he conveyed to students that “not every brand should be doing sponsorships,” a reminder that this popular route is not always the best for all brands looking to connect.

In closing, Tim offered a set of tips for career success* and encouraged students to “cultivate [their] network constantly,” an essential part of the people-oriented sports industry. After a reminding students not to “undervalue their work” and to keep an eye on the future, he took the time to meet one-on-one with SBS members before departing in search of the next big deal.

As always, we at the ILRSBS are thankful for alumni like Tim McGhee who share their experiences in the sports industry with our members. We are truly appreciative of Mr. McGhee’s commitment to helping students succeed in their careers and we hope to host him at another event in the future.

*Tim McGhee’s Career Tips:

1. Have a goal and pursue it to the exclusion of everything else.
2. Be passionate.
3. Be flexible.
4. Be lucky, but make your own luck.
4a. Be nice.
5. Expand your skill set.
 5a. Be a good writer.
6. Take on new challenges.
7. Pay it forward.
8. Have fun.

Event Recap: Students in Sports Panel

March 13, 2012 was the date of this year's annual Students in Sports panel, featuring a group of students discussing their experiences in sports industry internships. Check out the panelists after the jump. 

This year's panelists:

• Adam Kirsch (ILR '15), ILRSMC Director of Career Services; Positive Impact Partners
• Alex Gimenez (ILR '15); The Miami Foundation
• Colin Dailey (Communication '13); Time Warner Cable Sports
• Marc Rosenberg (ILR '12), Moderator and ILRSMC President; New York Islanders and ESPN Radio

Panelists discussed their experiences, which ranged from NCAA event management to TV production to philanthropic efforts. Regardless of the industry subfield, students agreed that it was vital to both learn from the internship and to demonstrate value to the company.

In some cases, panelists interned alongside graduate students and were able to differentiate themselves through hard work. Similarly, panelists stressed the importance of asking questions. Whether asking for assistance with a challenging task or picking a coworker's brain for industry knowledge, interns should take advantage of this opportunity to improve their comprehension.

The panel was followed by a presentation by Marcia Harding of ILR Career Services. Ms. Harding advised students on how they can put their best foot forward, manage their professional networks on LinkedIn and go about their search for jobs and internships. Ms. Harding also answered questions from the audience.

Check out ILR's Office of Career Services in Ives 201. 

Event Preview: Buck Briggs '76

Event Preview: Tim McDermott

4/4 -- Ives 105 -- 4PM

Join ILRSMC tomorrow, April 4, at 4 pm in Ives 105 for a special Skype presentation by Tim McDermott '95 of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Mr. McDermott is the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the Eagles and a graduate of both the ILR School and Harvard Business School. In addition to his work with the Eagles, Mr. McDermott has also worked for the Washington Capitals, San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Comcast.

Advice for Future Attendees of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

If you've read about the great memories made from the 2012 Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, you're hopefully considering attending the 2013 version. If so, use this post as a resource. We asked our members what advice they would give to future attendees so that they could derive the greatest possible value from the conference. Read their thoughts after the jump.

Colin Dailey: Find panelists you want to speak and try to speak to them at times other than when they first get done their panel (when they're swarmed with a ton of people). If you are prepared to speak with them at any time, you'll see them in passing later in the conference, and approach them at that point. Therefore, you'll receive more of their attention, without being mixed into the crowd of everybody else (and you'll stand out more). Also, be open to checking out new panels, as you'll probably be surprised and find something useful from panels you're unfamiliar with (topics).

Michael Hendel: My advice would be that you have to be realistic about what you want and expect from events like this. There were thousands of students and people who wanted to get jobs and meet with the sports celebrities. These guys get "hit on" anytime they are out in public and it is unreasonable for anyone to think that spending two minutes talking about a sports topic or asking questions is enough to actually get an internship. What i would do next time is talk to the attendees more than the panelists. There were representatives from 28 out of 32 basketball teams at the conference, and more teams will eventually flock to statistical conferences such as this one in the future. Talking to people around the rooms is a way to both make contacts and enjoy your time.

Adam Kirsch:
-Know what you're talking about/do your research and have questions to ask speakers
-Talk to other attendees–their backgrounds and insight will surprise you and they can often give you valuable advice
-Take notes
-Keep track of business cards/contact information you may receive and follow up within a reasonable time–remember to be gracious and grateful
-Always carry yourself in a respectful and professional manner. This is much more than confidently smiling and shaking hands.

-You should also remember that every action is a direct reflection on you, your club and your school.

Reed Longo: My best piece of advice for anyone attending this conference is to become familiar with the panelists before the conference. If you know what they do professionally, it makes the panels much easier to comprehend. Also, you never know if you have a shared connection with that person. For example, I used LinkedIn to find shared connections I had with some panelists/attendees and it helped me break barriers and make conversation. If you just do some brief research before the weekend, not only will you be able to enjoy the panels more, but it'll help you network

Daniel Lowenthal: Advice for next year is to go to what interests YOU. I went to very few panels, and chose to go to more of the EOS speeches and research presentations, and I ended up getting way more out of the conference than I did last year, when we went to almost all of the panels.

Eric Maimon: Plan what panels your going to, know the speakers well, and don't discount the attendees, some of them are bigger than the panelists.

John Rodriguez: Go to the conference with an open mind and see as many panels as you can. Do not be afraid to approach anyone you admire and have something valuable to say to them, so that the conversation of as small as 20 seconds is meaningful. Do research on the speakers and take detailed notes of the panels so that you can go back to the speakers at the end of it all with something to take away, other than a picture.

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Thank you to all the ILRSMC members that attended the SSAC and contributed to this piece. We hope to see more of you next March!

Memories: 2012 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

On Friday, March 2 and Saturday March, 3, over

20 Cornell ILRSMC members attended the sixth annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. The conference goal is to provide a forum for industry professionals (executives and leading researchers) and students to discuss the increasing role of analytics in the sports industry. MIT Sloan is dedicated to fostering growth in this arena, and the conference enriches opportunities for learning about the sports business world.

The club is proud to have sent such a large group to MIT in 2012, no doubt thanks to the great memories made at last year's event.

After the jump, read about some of our members' favorite moments from the 2012 SSAC.

Colin Dailey: The top highlights for me was getting to go up to people and expand on previous connections I generated at the Ivy sports symposium. I had great conversations with multiple important sports figures, and made strides toward a deeper connection and internship possibility. My favorite panel was the sports sponsorship and branding panel primarily because it was really intriguing and all of the panelists provided great insight, not just a couple of them. Additionally, I really enjoyed meeting and experiencing the true personality of some of these sports leaders.

Michael Hendel: Going to some of the research presentations and learning about the arduous and detailed work that some of these graduate students and professors have done to come up with fascinating theories. In one of the presentations, after thorough research, a group believed that trading Chris Paul for Deron Williams would have made sense for both teams. In another presentation, it was shown that home teams shoot a worse free throw percentage than the away teams because of psychological reasons. The home team actually feels more pressure because of the unnaturalness of silence.

Adam Kirsch:

-Talking to notables like Mark Shapiro, Eric Mangini and 49ers COO Paraag Marathe about the club and our projects
-Chatting about sports psychology with NFL defensive end Lawrence Jackson between panels
-Discussing the different functions within the industry with team employees in different capacities
-The Baseball Analytics and Franchises in Transition panels
-The opening panel, which featured two ILRies (Gary Bettman and Rob Manfred)

Reed Longo: There were many highlights over the weekend at MIT that made it such a great experience. However, the most memorable thing for me was sitting next to Lions DE Lawrence Jackson during the Brand Equity panel. Since it was mostly an older crowd, I kind of felt like I had to overcompensate with professionalism. Yet, when I was talking to Lawrence, it was a great change of pace to be able to kick it a bit and not resist the urge to say "dude" (which is hard enough for me to begin with). Our conversation was personal, as he gave me some great insight on comparing his days at USC, Seattle, Detroit, and the media's portrayal of his linemate Ndamukong Suh. I think anyone who heard him speak at the Coaching Analytics was impressed by his articulation and intelligence. Yet, what impressed me most was that he was recording the entire Brand Equity panel on his iPhone while taking detailed notes. There's no doubt that he will have a successful career after his playing days are over.

Daniel Lowenthal: The Trade Show was an unbelievable experience; truly unique and insightful, yet it absolutely felt like it was the first one of its kind (fist time at the conference at least.) I was the one who tweeted the coverage of it, and it really gave me some great experience in the field of sports journalism/summarization.

Eric Maimon: Networking with some of the panelists and attendees.

John Rodriguez: My favorite moments at the MIT Conference were hearing from and getting to meet both David Gill, CEO of Manchester United and Drew Carey, owner of the Seattle Sounders. One point that Carey made which I thought was really interesting is how teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona elect the president of the club every four years and how he has implemented that into his own MLS team and how he is pushing the rest of the league to do the same.

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Be sure to look for more posts concerning the club's experience at the MIT SSAC in the coming days!

Event Preview: Students in Sports Internship Panel

3/13 -- Ives 105 -- 4:30PM

Still seeking that summer job? Looking to learn about internship opportunities in sports? Want your questions about breaking into the business answered? Come by Ives 105 this Tuesday (3/13) from 4:30-5:15 pm.

Our Students in Sports Internship Panel will feature current Cornellians ready to share their experiences in industry internships. Presenters come from across the country and have worked in a number of different functions within the business.

The panel and discussion will last approximately thirty minutes and be followed by an informal career services presentation.

We hope to see you there!

Blogger Roundtable: Should College Athletes Be Paid?

Sorry, Reggie - no pay for you.

The Blogger Roundtable compiles the views of various ILRSMC bloggers and e-board members. If you have a suggestion for a future roundtable topic, email Geoff at gjr52@cornell.edu.

A timeless debate for sports fans, the simple notion that "student-athletes" should or should not be paid is enough to start a fiery debate. There's no question that some schools are the beneficiaries of what has become not just a game, but a business. If colleges are making money thanks to their football team's performance, why aren't the players compensated?

At the same time, many argue that these athletically-inclined young adults are called student-athletes. The emphasis should be on the student part of their title. Naysayers will also point out that most of the colleges who make big bucks from their athletic departments already DO give tremendous benefits (often times, a free or discounted education) to their players.

Admittedly, the debate is getting tiresome. But recently, there's been some gasoline thrown on into the flames.

Last Monday, Evan Weiner of the NewJerseyNewsRoom reported:

Apparently, according to a person in the know, college presidents, provosts and chancellors are thinking of giving “student-athletes” a $2,000 a year salary for their efforts. Athletic Directors seem to think $3,500 is a better stipend but for now the $2,000 figure seems to be right amount of money to spend on players for the Lords of the Ivy Towers.

Weiner goes on to give a very detailed look at the collegiate athletic landscape and whether or not athletes are entitled to some sort of "salary."

On a new installment on the ILRSMC Blog, we asked SMC bloggers:

Should student athletes be paid?

The opinions after the jump.

Here's what they had to say:

Adam Kirsch (ILR '15)

I do not believe that college athletes should be paid. DI players receive their diploma essentially for free and gain the benefit of numerous services that aren't necessarily accessible to the ordinary student.

Although they generate a great deal of revenue for the university, not every athlete contributes the same degree to the university (example-Cam Newton brought much more revenue to Auburn than Notre Dame's second-string punter brought to South Bend). There is no way to create a fair and reasonable system to proportionally compensate student-athletes beyond the scholarship system.

Furthermore, although DIII athletes do not receive scholarships, they do not bring a significant share of revenue back to the university compared to their DI counterparts.

Given the above reasons, I do not think that DI athletes should be paid. They have the option to leave early for the pros if they want to get paid-there's no reason they should be paid in college when they can make the jump and collect on a signing bonus.

Robbie Cohen (ILRSMC VP Events, ILR '13)

I believe that college athletes should not be paid. They are essentially being paid by receiving scholarships, as they don't have to pay the increasingly high costs of tuition.

Furthermore, they are STUDENT athletes - note that the word student comes first. While most have the end goal of being professional athletes, college is their time to learn as undergraduates - if and when they make it to the pros, that is when they should get paid.

NCAA athletes do bring in tremendous revenues to universities. But if these universities had to pay each and every one of their athletes, they may not be able to sustain their programs - unless they devoted more resources to sports, which would mean sacrificing the education that the university offers.

Going along with this, the competitive balance would be diminished as the bigger, richer universities would be able to just pay for the better players.

Johanna Gill (ILR '15)

College athletes definitely should not be paid. Ultimately, they are at an educational institution where, in theory, academics, not sports, should be the main focus. At the moment, there are already rampant issues with corruption in college sports; take for example the University of Miami. Officially allowing schools to compensate athletes may only exacerbate unethical practices and lead to an even more exaggerated divide in competition if schools with more resources are continuously able to attract the top athletes.

Also, many athletes are on athletic scholarships at their respective schools. Isn't that compensation enough? Especially now with the economic downturn and colleges being forced to cut academic programs, monetary compensation should only come into play in a professional league.

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The bloggers seem to be pretty certain of their views, but there is at least one who takes exception. Check out his take in Alternate Perspective.