Giving our Student-Athletes a helping hand.
Scholarship quick facts.
There is widespread misconceptions regarding student athletes and the scholarships they earn for competing in their sport. And we've heard very vocal critics of student athletes earning money off their Name, Image, and Likeness argue that: "Student athletes don't need to be compensated because they already receive a scholarship that covers everything."
Well here are some facts to consider.
1. Scholarships are not guaranteed.
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Scholarships must be renewed every year under NCAA rules and are contingent on a student's obligation to actively participate in the sport.
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There is no scholarship that is guaranteed for the entire four years.
2. Student-Athletes spend 40 hours on their sport ON TOP of going to classes.
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NCAA guidelines require that collegiate players practice their sport for no more than 20 hours per week. However, athletes report spending between 34 and 39 hours per week.
3. Athletic scholarships are not worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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The average athletic scholarship for men in Division I sports is roughly $14,270 per year, while the average athletic scholarship for women is approximately $15,162 per year. Division II sports bring the figures down to $5,548 for men and $6,814 for women, according to the NCAA.
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The NCAA defines a full scholarship as one that covers all of the costs of attendance, including tuition, fees, accommodation, board, and course-related materials.
4. The average athletic scholarship is a partial scholarship.
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Only six Division I sports are guaranteed to get full scholarships. Football, men's basketball, women's basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, and tennis are all "head count" sports, as are men's basketball and women's basketball. A scholarship to a Division I school in one of the "head count" sports is a full ride for the student-athlete.
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The remaining sports provide "equivalency" or partial scholarships in lieu of full scholarships. Each sport has a specific amount of scholarships available as well as a maximum number of players on its roster. For the purpose of filling out their rosters, coaches can divide scholarships into halves, thirds, or even quarters.
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Baseball, rifle, skiing, cross-country, track and field, soccer, fencing, swimming, golf, tennis, gymnastics, volleyball, ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and wrestling are examples of equivalency sports for D1 men. Other examples are basketball, volleyball, and wrestling. Swimming, ice hockey, and water polo are examples of equivalency sports for D1 women. Other options include lacrosse and rowing as well as cross-country and track and field events, skiing, fencing, soccer, field hockey, softball, golf, and swimming.
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All D2 and NAIA sports are considered to be equivalent sports.
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Over 50% of student athletes receive only partial scholarships.
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Students who receive partial athletic scholarships must make up the difference in the cost of their education through grant aid money, academic scholarships, personal funds, student loans and/or work-study opportunities.
I'm already a school donor.
Alumni clubs rely on the substantial gifts they get from alumni and boosters who are passionate about their alma mater's athletic and academic programs. These funds, however, cannot be allocated to aid student athletes. Additionally, the NCAA expressly prohibits schools from directly compensating athletes and forbids them from orchestrating NIL arrangements. Schools must take a hands-off approach to NIL transactions, allowing students to perform the heavy lifting of identifying opportunities on their own.
Finally, we are not asking fans and boosters to hand over a king's ransom to engage with student athletes; rather, we are asking for a few dollars to put in their pockets to cover some creature comforts such as a Friday night dinner date, some street clothes that their program does not provide, or some new tires for their beater car.
Where does your support go?
In summary, the money that you spend to engage with student athletes helps them pay for the basics such as rent, cellphone bills, insurance, and a modest bit of cash to allow them to enjoy the college experience. Due to their busy schedules working on their sport and their even tighter budgets, student athletes rarely get a taste of what it's like to be a college student.
Do you have a corporate gig?
For business owners, our LockerRoom Student-Athletes are ready for product endorsements, social media marketing, speaking engagements, and event appearances to bring your brand and business some star power. Each corporate engagement can be customized to provide you and your business with the optimal combination of promotions and marketing to increase your visibility and sales.