In two panels at this week’s IMG Intercollegiate Athletics Forum (IAF) in New York, current and former student-athletes shared their perspectives on the state of college athletics and changes on the horizon.
From thoughts on student-athletes unionizing to maximizing the student part of student-athlete, three current student-athletes shared their experiences and what changes they might like to see. They were followed by a panel of former student-athletes, advocates for change to intercollegiate athletics.
The three current student-athletes — Brandon Vitabile of Northwestern, Taylor Kelly of Arizona State and Tyler Lockett of Kansas State — are all strong students and finalists for the National Football Foundation’s Campbell Trophy, an award often referred to as the “academic Heisman.” Each spoke about the importance of time management and offered little sympathy for student-athletes who fail academically.
“I find it really hard to believe when you hear guys are failing out or not doing well because you have to try to not do well with everything that we’re given and all the support we get,” said Vitabile, an economics major. Vitabile said he and his teammates challenged each other to do well academically as well as on the field. He credited the coach for putting that sort of team together.
Vitabile said the coaches were also supportive of his career aspirations, allowing him to have two internships at Goldman Sachs in Chicago during offseasons.
On the subject of whether college players should be paid, Lockett said he knows people who can’t make ends meet on their stipends. Some send money from their stipends to their families. While pay would alleviate those issues, it brings the possibility of creating friction within the team.
