Gary Williams: Monthly Stipend Might Be Counter To Sports Agents
Garry Williams, the basketball coach of Maryland Terrapins, made an eye-opening suggestion on Wednesday, asking the NCAA to compensate players from revenue-generating sports.
The 65-year-old Williams told a Baltimore radio station that he wants the NCAA to approve a $200 monthly stipend for college players from revenue-generating sports, such as basketball and football.
Williams said he’s constantly working with the National Association of Basketball Coaches to discuss the pros and cons of having compensation for players.
Still, the Terrapins coach admitted it will take numerous debates for the NCAA to finally approve the proposal.
"The problem we have, anything we bring up with the NCAA, they kind of look at it as, 'What do these coaches -- what are they doing now, what do they want? This is just to help them,''' Williams told Baltimore
Fox’s Radio program "Sports With Coleman'' show on Tuesday.
Williams insisted the NCAA has the financial capacity to provide every single college players with monthly stipend without hurting the stance of non-revenue sport events.
“There's plenty of money off the men's basketball tournament that you can pay men's basketball players, football players, whatever, the revenue-producing sports, and still have enough money to run your
other sports, and I think that's why a lot of people (believe) they should be paid,'' Williams added.
Williams believes that a simple $200 monthly stipend can prevent more college players from jumping quickly to the pro ranks and accepting improper benefits from sports agents.
“Hopefully, it would keep away some of the unscrupulous people that do hang around the great athletes, where an athlete wouldn't befriend a guy just because a guy gave him 100 bucks or something like that,''
said Williams, who is scheduled to enter the Baltimore Sports Hall of Game next week.
Williams led the Terrapins to a numerous NCAA tournament appearances and won a National Title in 2002.
Tags: