Povich Symposium panelists debate pay for college athletes

Last night, more than 500 people including famous athletes, college athletics officials and journalists packed the Colony Ballroom in the Stamp Student Union to discuss the pros and cons associated with intercollegiate athletics.

What followed was a heated debate over if college athletes should be paid.

The fourth annual Shirley Povich Symposium, held in honor of the late Washington Post sports columnist, consisted of a panel moderated by television personality Maury Povich and his wife, university alumna and famous journalist Connie Chung. The panel featured University System Chancellor Brit Kirwan, The Washington Post's Michael Wilbon, alumnus and Washington Redskin Stephon Heyer, Athletic Director Debbie Yow, men's basketball coach Gary Williams and alumnus and ESPN sportscaster Scott Van Pelt.

Chung began the discussion by citing a survey published in USA Today that said student athletes spent 44.8 hours on athletics, with less than 40 hours spent on academics. She pointed out that those 44 hours exceed the NCAA rule mandating student athletes only spend 20 hours on their sport. 

A debate soon erupted over whether so much extra time warranted the athletes to earn a wage.

Heyer explained that during his time as a student athlete, he had enough money to cover books and food, but he couldn't go to the movies or buy clothes like other college students who may have the spare time to work a part-time job.

"The work they put in, I think they deserve a wage, of course," Heyer said.

Kirwan brought up the proposal that athletes be given $3,000 to $4,000 more in their scholarships to cover other expenses, but Yow said the Athletics Department had considered this idea but calculated it would cost $800,000  — money the university doesn't have.

"They might not be paid enough, but they are paid the amount of the scholarship," Yow said.

In order for athletes to be given more money, Kirwan and Yow agreed, the model for intercollegiate athletics would have to change.

"We're in a situation where the financing of higher education is in freefall," Kirwan said. "Expenditures in intercollegiate athletics are rising three or four times faster than expenditures on the academic side of the house. You can't sustain this model in the current economic circumstances."

Some wondered if the model were revamped, if non-revenue-producing sports would have to be cut from university budgets.

The discussion then shifted to the question of whether non-revenue-producing sports would have to be cut due to their typically lower levels of popularity among fans.

"Let's call it what it is: It's a business and that's the truth," Van Pelt said.

The symposium was, as in years past, free and open to the public, resulting in a high student turnout.

"I wanted to see everyone that was up there," senior A.J. McGovern said. "Where else can get you get the mix of Maury, Connie Chung, Scott Van Pelt and Michael Wilbon? Everything they talked about is something I talk about with my friends. I just liked the back and forth between all of them."

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