Front page WSJ article on revenue sharing with athletes

Here is the link to the original article: https://www.wsj.com/sports/football/college-coach-athlete-pay-harbaugh-saban-afe98e8e

Opening lede:

In August, Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh kicked off one of the most bizarre, dramatic college football seasons in history by doing something coaches rarely do: He talked about money. 

“What I don’t understand,” Harbaugh told reporters at his first weekly news conference, “is how the NCAA, television networks, conferences, universities and coaches can continue to pull in millions—and in some cases, billions—of dollars in revenue off the efforts of college student-athletes across the country without providing enough opportunity to share in the ever-increasing revenues.”

Through the tumultuous season that followed, which included two ongoing NCAA investigations into his program, Harbaugh repeatedly called for football players and other college athletes to receive a portion of sports-related revenue they help universities generate. 

Those revenues have surged in recent years, driven by escalating broadcast-rights contracts for football. But the NCAA has long insisted that the amateur status of players is a fundamental feature of college sports, and that amateurs cannot be paid to play. Now Harbaugh and other coaches are echoing what athletes’-rights advocates have said for years—and think they’re about to win. 

"I think Coach Harbaugh appropriately comes off as being a leader on this topic."

• Vacate the last three year wins
• Three year bowl ban,
• 15 scholarship reduction for three years
• 10 year show-cause for Harbaugh.

This is why Burger-gate is even a thing and Sign-gate is actually mentioned as the greatest cheating scandal of all time.  People dont like having someone messing with their money and Jim is definitely perceived as leading this charge.

But I was told Harbaugh and UM were the bad guys!

ConNnOR STalLIoNS!!!!

And people wonder why certain entities might be drawing a bullseye on Harbaugh and “going after” relatively petty minor things?   Look no further than this.

It also seems worthwhile to note, as the article points out - WHEN Harbaugh raised this .. his first press conference of the season.

It would be fantastic if the B1G took a leadership position on this - revenue sharing.  I do not believe the answer is simple / trivial - Title IX is important  as is recognizing revenue generating sports.

One thing I do believe is.. there won’t be any attempted .. or drafted.. solution - until someone / a group / conference - sits down and puts “pen to paper”.

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Good for Harbaugh.

Go, Blue!

I do love Coach. He's Mister Football.

He's unreservedly honest, socially awkward, and has an incredible ability to coach a winning team while earning the love and respect of his coaches and players.

He seemingly also has a "talent" for angering team owner(s), sports regulators, and others who hold positions of authority (possibly including ADs)?

Never a dull moment with this guy !

And he's not on Santa's naughty list...... 

And the NCAA is playing the part of Putin.  Exiling your biggest critic to Siberia for daring to suggest they share the billions going into their pockets every year.  Good thing we don't play by Russian rules.  Harbs would no doubt have fumbled his way out of a 6th story hotel window by now.

So I was wondering. Since Michigan generates the most television viewers of any other team in college football, when the next contract is due for negotiation, will Michigan ask for a bigger piece of the pie than other schools since they are the ones generating the most revenue?  And if they can negotiate this, can Michigan then pay a bigger share to their football team?  Will this make Michigan the preferred destination for big time prospects since they could pay the most money under revenue sharing.  Is Harbaugh thinking along these lines years ahead of everyone else?  Is Harbaugh playing chess when everyone else is playing checkers? Hmm.