Are american college athletes exploited?

[Cutlass]

So what is to stop someone who owns a cable TV chanel and a few stadiums in large cities setting up there own league and paying the players. The players could then pay their own college fees and the person who owned the cable company would get more money because they would not have to pay for other stuff at the schools.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Series_Cricket

There are alternative leagues in American football. But they have not been very successful. Generally their athletes are those who can't make it in, or to, the NFL. Football is an expensive sport. And has not attracted a big fan base for the alternate leagues. So is not a good business opportunity for the most part.

 

[say1988]

So XFL was solvent according to wiki. And there have been others attempts. So someone could set up a league paying featuring the best college players. If it survived for a few seasons it would change the financial relationships as happened with cricket.

From Random's wiki link.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XFL

You could also add the AAFC, AFL, AFL, AFL, AFL, USFL, and WFL, with the UFL struggling to survive, and the indoor football leagues haven't done much better. Then you can add the failure of the CFL (an established and economically viable league in Canada) in expanding into the US.

A number did survive for a few years before they went under, but the fourth AFL was the only one that can be considered a success. And even then it was pushed into a merger with the NFL that they were the junior party to.

 

[downtown]

It is worth noting that American basketball and baseball players DO have other viable options for training, outside of NCAA athletics. Basketball preps can join the NBA minor league system after they turn 18 (and get paid), or play professionally in Europe. The goal is to make it into the NBA, where the talent is unquestionably the best, and the paychecks huge.

Virtually all basketball prospects who can muster the pretty low academic requirements play US college basketball. The training and competition is far superior to other leagues, and you'll have a higher likelihood of getting that bigger paycheck. Plus, you get to hang out with kids your own age.

MANY baseball players forgo the college system altogether, and just straight into Minor League Baseball. This massive system is bankrolled by professional baseball though. Without the NFL cutting huge checks, a minor league football system outside of college sports would be prohibitively expensive.

 

[Silurian]

Ok so it is only likely to happen if it is a billionaire’s vanity project. So unlikely.

 

[Cutlass]

Vanity project, but they do make a real attempt to make a commercial venture out of it. It just hasn't worked out well in practice.