Paid to Play: The Future of College Athletics
The model of amateurism in college sports is slowly dying. It is being destroyed by the central contradiction of college sports: unpaid student labor earning greater and greater profits for coaches and administrators without seeing the fruits of their labor.
The questions our presentation wants to ask, and then hopefully answer, is "What comes next for college athletics?" What are the models that might work? What are the obstacles standing in the way of giving student-athletes a greater share of the profits? Can college athletics co-exist with the university model as it currently stands, or does it need to become something else entirely, perhaps even separating from the university system completely? This session is part of the brand new SXsports programming at SXSW 2014.
Presenters
Andy Staples
Sr Writer
Sports Illustrated
Senior writer Andy Staples is biding his time at Sports Illustrated until someone hires him to edit and write for a publication dedicated only to barbecue. Until then, his first dream job will have to suffice.
Staples can rattle off the best hole-in-the-wall dives in America’s pre-eminent college towns. He also knows a little about the football played in those towns. He has covered college football for SI since 2008. Before that, he covered University of Florida sports for The Tampa Tribune from 2004-08 and University of Tennessee sports for the Chattanooga Times Free Press. He also vaguely remembers how to put on pads. In another life, he was the worst walk-on offensive lineman in the history of the Southeastern Conference.
Chris Del Conte
Athletic Dir
Texas Christian University
Emmanuel Acho
Linebacker
Philadelphia Eagles
Emmanuel Acho is currently a member of the Philadelphia Eagles after being drafted and traded from the Cleveland Browns the preceding year. Graduating from the University of Texas in December of 2011 with a degree in sports management, he is currently working on his graduate degree in sports psychology. In his final season at The University of Texas, Emmanuel earned athletic All-American honors, along with academic all-district honors. He and his family take annual medical mission trips to Nigeria with their charity, Living Hope Ministries.
Spencer Hall
Editorial Dir
Vox Media/SB Nation
Spencer Hall is the Editorial Director of SB Nation and the founder of Every Day Should Be Saturday.
Thanks to our sponsors
Music sponsor
Interactive sponsors
