Chattanooga will give COA stipends for m/w basketball, no to football (for now)

[chattanoogamocs]

I presume this is the first COA volley fired in the SoCon.

Highlights:

Chattanooga athletic director David Blackburn said Wednesday that each of the school's 15 women's basketball players and 13 men's basketball players on scholarship will be given $2,000 to cover cost of attendance this school year.

That is more than 60 percent of the $3,200 total that UTC could give each scholarship student-athlete, according to the formula used as determined by the United States Department of Education.

Blackburn said there was a discussion about football, but that he and football coach Russ Huesman decided against it for a couple of reasons.

Blackburn said the math would be difficult, and that Huesman worried about trying to parcel out uneven amounts among the 63 scholarships the football program allocates and what varying amounts would do to team chemistry.

"We will keep an eye on which (Football Championship Subdivision) schools are committing to doing it for football," Blackburn said, "and we may re-evaluate that later."


Full Article:http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/college/story/2015/jul/16/utc-give-basketball-players-2000-stipend/314836/

[Bisonoline]

I presume this is the first COA volley fired in the SoCon.

Highlights:

Chattanooga athletic director David Blackburn said Wednesday that each of the school's 15 women's basketball players and 13 men's basketball players on scholarship will be given $2,000 to cover cost of attendance this school year.

That is more than 60 percent of the $3,200 total that UTC could give each scholarship student-athlete, according to the formula used as determined by the United States Department of Education.

Blackburn said there was a discussion about football, but that he and football coach Russ Huesman decided against it for a couple of reasons.

Blackburn said the math would be difficult, and that Huesman worried about trying to parcel out uneven amounts among the 63 scholarships the football program allocates and what varying amounts would do to team chemistry.

"We will keep an eye on which (Football Championship Subdivision) schools are committing to doing it for football," Blackburn said, "and we may re-evaluate that later."



Full Article:http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/college/story/2015/jul/16/utc-give-basketball-players-2000-stipend/314836/

Dont see whats so difficult. There is alot of disparity already when you divide up 63 full rides in to 85 . Some are going to have full rides and some arent. Everyone knows it. You just use the % they get for the FCOA as well.

[chattanoogamocs]

Dont see whats so difficult. There is alot of disparity already when you divide up 63 full rides in to 85 . Some are going to have full rides and some arent. Everyone knows it. You just use the % they get for the FCOA as well.


In the simplest terms, I agree with what you are saying. But this issue is far from simple and this could just exacerbate what can already be a delicate balance when it comes to chemistry.

Just because a player knows he isn't going to get a full ride up front doesn't it mean it can't hurt chemistry...and doubling up and giving some players more money on top of that might upset the balance further, it might be enough to tip the scale towards resentment.

The whole thing is a sticky wicket (any players getting paid at a school when others aren't). I am against COA's. I ran cross country/track and field athlete at UTC in the late 80's, I know how much resentment can build up with athlete's when they see one group consistently getting more than others...but watching one group literally get paid? That could quickly drive a wedge in the department. The NCAA can call it whatever they want, these players are now professional athletes.

Of course, Blackburn took care of any track runners complaining...he just killed the program. :(

[walliver]

Dont see whats so difficult. There is alot of disparity already when you divide up 63 full rides in to 85 . Some are going to have full rides and some arent. Everyone knows it. You just use the % they get for the FCOA as well.


I think you have oversimplified the situation. Many of the athletes on partial scholarships are not wealthy. They have made up the shortcomings in their scholarships by grants, loans, academic money and other sources. They do not necessarily have any more "spending money" than the full ride folks. When you start giving different payouts to different players, you create disparities in relative wealth between different players which will produce resentments among players. For example, a player smart enough to have significant academic money for him to go to school would get a lower pay-out than a marginal student who barely slipped by the admissions department, even if family finances and athletic performance were the same.

[SU DOG]

Why would any school want to show their hand before they have to? I would think there will be conference meetings and many discussions before certain decisions are made. What will the football players' reaction be to this announcement? I can't imagine they will be thrilled hearing about the basketballers getting money. Not saying it is the wrong decision, but I'm just raising some obvious questions.

[FUBeAR]

What will the football players' reaction be to this announcement? I can't imagine they will be thrilled hearing about the basketballers getting money.

I would say Football Players at most SoCon Schools are fairly well used to Basketball Players getting the 'royal treatment,' comparatively-speaking, in a variety of areas - locker rooms, transportation, 'booster handshakes,' etc. It was that way in the 80's and is still that way today. That's why it's smart to become good friends with the hoops stars - they always had/have extra cash. Now they'll have more.

[CrazyCat]

Only way to be fair is to give the same amount to everybody. If you are willing to pay $2,000 toward 63 scholarships. That is a total of $126,000. You could use the opening roster limit of 95? and that would be about $1,300. Heck you could divy it out to the final roster number of 105 and that would still be $1,200. Seems easy to me.

[SU DOG]

I would say Football Players at most SoCon Schools are fairly well used to Basketball Players getting the 'royal treatment,' comparatively-speaking, in a variety of areas - locker rooms, transportation, 'booster handshakes,' etc. It was that way in the 80's and is still that way today. That's why it's smart to become good friends with the hoops stars - they always had/have extra cash. Now they'll have more.

A-MAN BeAR

[Toby]

Of course, Blackburn took care of any track runners complaining...he just killed the program. :(



Seems very odd that UTC would kill the Men's track program claiming they did not have enough money to add a woman's sport and then turn right around and offer COA to Men's and Women's BBALL.

[chattownmocs]

Seems very odd that UTC would kill the Men's track program claiming they did not have enough money to add a woman's sport and then turn right around and offer COA to Men's and Women's BBALL.

Good luck running men's track and starting a new women's program on around 50k a year.

[Bisonoline]

I think you have oversimplified the situation. Many of the athletes on partial scholarships are not wealthy. They have made up the shortcomings in their scholarships by grants, loans, academic money and other sources. They do not necessarily have any more "spending money" than the full ride folks. When you start giving different payouts to different players, you create disparities in relative wealth between different players which will produce resentments among players. For example, a player smart enough to have significant academic money for him to go to school would get a lower pay-out than a marginal student who barely slipped by the admissions department, even if family finances and athletic performance were the same.

There is already a disparity in the amount they receive. Its no different than the job market. Some get paid more than others. Yes some kids arent wealthy? So What. Some poor kids are on full rides and some arent. Plus with the FCOA they are going to get some more money. If there is resentment then they the kid needs to grow up. He knew the situation going in.

Its only difficult if you want it to be.

[Hammersmith]

Only way to be fair is to give the same amount to everybody. If you are willing to pay $2,000 toward 63 scholarships. That is a total of $126,000. You could use the opening roster limit of 95? and that would be about $1,300. Heck you could divy it out to the final roster number of 105 and that would still be $1,200. Seems easy to me.

You're still limited to the regular 85 players.

[Hammersmith]

There is already a disparity in the amount they receive. Its no different than the job market. Some get paid more than others. Yes some kids arent wealthy? So What. Some poor kids are on full rides and some arent. Plus with the FCOA they are going to get some more money. If there is resentment then they the kid needs to grow up. He knew the situation going in.

Its only difficult if you want it to be.

His reply was code for "we don't want to pay for FB and all the women's sports we would need to balance it out".

28 partial stipends is one thing, 100+ more on top of that is something else entirely.

[CrazyCat]

You're still limited to the regular 85 players.

Huh? All I know is that your roster can be at a max. of 95 at the beginning of fall camp and you can spread out the 63 scholarships however you want.

[Hammersmith]

Huh? All I know is that your roster can be at a max. of 95 at the beginning of fall camp and you can spread out the 63 scholarships however you want.

Scholarships limits for FCS are 63 scholarships divided over a maximum of 85 players. Stipends don't change the 85 number.

[CrazyCat]

Scholarships limits for FCS are 63 scholarships divided over a maximum of 85 players. Stipends don't change the 85 number.

Interesting. I did not know that. Thanks. Just change my number from 95 to 85 and dole out the cash equally to everyone.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

COA, in January: "There's not much appetite for it in the FCS".

COA, in July: "We'll modify our definition to include it, so men's and women's basketball don't get steamrollered by P5 schools in recruiting. But we won't offer it for football."

COA, in December: "We need to offer COA in all sports."

[Toby]

Good luck running men's track and starting a new women's program on around 50k a year.

They didn't even give the track parents and alumni an opportunity to raise money and save the sport, but pled poverty from the git go. Maybe they just wanted the money they spent on men's track to give to the basketball programs.

[chattownmocs]

They didn't even give the track parents and alumni an opportunity to raise money and save the sport, but pled poverty from the git go. Maybe they just wanted the money they spent on men's track to give to the basketball programs.

Ok. And???

[chattanoogamocs]

Ironically, 50K was exactly what was saved by dropping the track program (the scholarship money will be the same because they still have XC, but the cost of meets, etc for track was 50K)

I will say though, I don't think that track was cut to pay for COA. I think the department was lazy and cutting track was easy (even though track alums came forward with a plan to not only pay for men's track, but also to finance more women's members to improve title IX).

And on a side note, the men's track team was just honored this week for having the highest GPA in all of DI...for the 2nd year in a row. One of our seniors is headed off to med school at Yale.

[Toby]

Ironically, 50K was exactly what was saved by dropping the track program (the scholarship money will be the same because they still have XC, but the cost of meets, etc for track was 50K)

I will say though, I don't think that track was cut to pay for COA. I think the department was lazy and cutting track was easy (even though track alums came forward with a plan to not only pay for men's track, but also to finance more women's members to improve title IX).

And on a side note, the men's track team was just honored this week for having the highest GPA in all of DI...for the 2nd year in a row. One of our seniors is headed off to med school at Yale.

What a great story. This is what college athletics should be about!!!

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/columns/story/2015/jul/23/wiedmer-too-bad-utc-mens-track-cant-three-peg/316009/