The vast chasms soon to be created by colleges` athletic stipends puts a real test on SAs and their families. The "offer" a college makes needs to be carefully weighed by all those concerned. Although it`s anybody`s guess what the final monetary offer each college makes, the difference between "similar" teams' stipend, i.e. Georgia and Florida, should also create a match between the REAL value of the individual school`s education.
I say "should" because at some point in the S-A`s lifetime he or his family will realize that colleges also will prepare all their students, athletes included, for a life beyond their fortieth year. But ninety percent, I`d guess, of the athletes ASSUME they will play in the NFL for "at least" five years, and perhaps ten, if lucky. Most responsible parents (or advisers) will not realistically ASSUME such, but feel there is a chance of it coming through. And it would be great if THEIR boy could be one of the TWO OR THREE PERCENT of college players to do so. Most parents, however, are aware that things beyond their or their sons' control can occur to throw the "PLAN" off track completely.
I would suggest that the coaches at Georgia Tech enforce the already used "Forty Year Plan" spiel to an even stronger level. Stipend included, there will be few colleges which can come close to MATCHING the TRUE WORTH of a Georgia Tech Scholarship. Let`s assume Tennessee, for example, offers a kid $7000 per year in addition to a scholarship with a
"Top Ten" (see pre-season projections) SEC Powerhouse. And Tech offers the same kid $2500 and a scholarship to a "Top Twenty" (see pre-season projections) ACC Powerhouse.
The kid laughs out loud, until our coach, talking to parents as well as the player, asks them what is the salary he will receive upon graduation from each school. Suddenly, or even gradually, the parents start to see the picture. Junior figures he`ll make, for five years at UT, $35,000. If he goes to Tech five years, he makes $12,500 - $22,500 LESS! But Mama, who has lived a little
longer, says, "Wait a minute, Son. What do you make the first five years AFTER college from both schools?"
So, the Tech coach quotes the salaries from a couple of our recent grads at $100,000 to start. UT grads MIGHT get starting salaries of $50,000. Even the kid can see if he goes to Tech he will have out earned the UT grad by not only the stipend ($22,500) but an additional $27,500. He caught up and more than doubled the five year stipend advantage in the FIRST YEAR.
A lot of people are thinking the stipend will be the end of Tech football. I believe, if we sell it right, our smaller stipend is just the beginning of Tech`s TOTAL recognition as the best deal ANYWHERE, if anyone will just think "out of the box" and five years ahead. As a matter of fact, we may do away with the stipend all together, when we prove our degree is worth fifty or a hunedred years of stipends.
I say "should" because at some point in the S-A`s lifetime he or his family will realize that colleges also will prepare all their students, athletes included, for a life beyond their fortieth year. But ninety percent, I`d guess, of the athletes ASSUME they will play in the NFL for "at least" five years, and perhaps ten, if lucky. Most responsible parents (or advisers) will not realistically ASSUME such, but feel there is a chance of it coming through. And it would be great if THEIR boy could be one of the TWO OR THREE PERCENT of college players to do so. Most parents, however, are aware that things beyond their or their sons' control can occur to throw the "PLAN" off track completely.
I would suggest that the coaches at Georgia Tech enforce the already used "Forty Year Plan" spiel to an even stronger level. Stipend included, there will be few colleges which can come close to MATCHING the TRUE WORTH of a Georgia Tech Scholarship. Let`s assume Tennessee, for example, offers a kid $7000 per year in addition to a scholarship with a
"Top Ten" (see pre-season projections) SEC Powerhouse. And Tech offers the same kid $2500 and a scholarship to a "Top Twenty" (see pre-season projections) ACC Powerhouse.
The kid laughs out loud, until our coach, talking to parents as well as the player, asks them what is the salary he will receive upon graduation from each school. Suddenly, or even gradually, the parents start to see the picture. Junior figures he`ll make, for five years at UT, $35,000. If he goes to Tech five years, he makes $12,500 - $22,500 LESS! But Mama, who has lived a little
longer, says, "Wait a minute, Son. What do you make the first five years AFTER college from both schools?"
So, the Tech coach quotes the salaries from a couple of our recent grads at $100,000 to start. UT grads MIGHT get starting salaries of $50,000. Even the kid can see if he goes to Tech he will have out earned the UT grad by not only the stipend ($22,500) but an additional $27,500. He caught up and more than doubled the five year stipend advantage in the FIRST YEAR.
A lot of people are thinking the stipend will be the end of Tech football. I believe, if we sell it right, our smaller stipend is just the beginning of Tech`s TOTAL recognition as the best deal ANYWHERE, if anyone will just think "out of the box" and five years ahead. As a matter of fact, we may do away with the stipend all together, when we prove our degree is worth fifty or a hunedred years of stipends.
