Jim Harbaugh expresses concern about prospect of NCAA players unionizing
"The one thing they probably need to look at is, if they are paid something and they become employees, there would be a real chance that they would be taxed, that their scholarship would be taxed as a taxable benefit," Harbaugh told reporters on the weekly Big Ten coaches conference call.
"I don't know if they've really looked at that and wondered if they might not be better off in a situation that they have (now). That's my question. The youngsters might be in a worse position if they're paid something, some amount of money and they become employees of the university."
October 8th, 2015 at 11:57 AM ^
October 8th, 2015 at 12:43 PM ^
October 8th, 2015 at 9:04 AM ^
bad bad bad move. these are kids. they get a free ride and now they want to be paid. i say if at all give them a SMALL lump sum to buy beer.
October 8th, 2015 at 10:28 AM ^
If the free ride is such a great deal then let the "free market" of player opinion decide it. Let them choose between the alleged value of the scholarship, or take that value in cash if they don't want to play school or are not qualified to take advantage of school because they were recruited just for football even when they have no academic ability or interest.
In addition limit the pay of all coaches and AD employees to the value of a scholarship and funnel the rest of the money made by the department into day care, transportation for work, health care, pre-school reading programs & adult education/job training/career training for the poorest school districts, neighborhoods and families within a hundred mile radius of the university.
October 8th, 2015 at 10:50 AM ^
you mean "adults," then yes, these are kids.
October 8th, 2015 at 9:11 AM ^
The most important thing that the players are lacking is representation on decision making committees. They are outnumbered about 40-2 on the legislative committees. That's ridiculous. Their best interests are not going to be considered heavily.
October 8th, 2015 at 9:11 AM ^
The most important thing that the players are lacking is representation on decision making committees. They are outnumbered about 40-2 on the legislative committees. That's ridiculous. Their best interests are not going to be considered heavily.
October 8th, 2015 at 11:58 AM ^
October 8th, 2015 at 3:14 PM ^
Not all that complicated, at least relative to the IRS norm.
http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc421.html
The tuition and related expenses part is not taxable. Anything beyond is.
This basically creates a system where it would be (at least nearly) equivalent for you to 1) not have a tuition waiver, but receive stipend+(amount of tuition) as your salary, but then claim the tuition and fees as a deduction off your taxable income, and 2) receive the stipend, and a non-taxable tuition waiver. In both cases, the value of the stipend is the total taxable income.