Penn State could have B1G advantage with stipends

With the Big Ten preparing to allow schools to hand out stipends to student-athletes to cover financial obligations not covered under a scholarship, it looks like Penn State could be gaining a nice little recruiting advantage. This, according to David Jones of The Patriot News today;

Based on cost-of-attendance figures cited by CollegeData.com for the 2014-15 academic calendar, Penn State ranks at the top of the Big Ten with a miscellaneous expenses figure of $4,788. If it stays the same next school year, that means $4,788 of walking-around money during the nine-month period for athletes who receive full grants in aid.

In contrast, Ohio State ranks a mere 8^th in the Big Ten, currently designating a mere $2,454 of tuition cost to incidental expenses – barely half of PSU’s amount. You would expect Urban Meyer, Thad Matta and their messenger, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith, to have a say in doubling that number or more by July when schools must designate any changes. Same with Jim Harbaugh and John Beilein at Michigan whose incidental expenses amount is currently designated as a relative pittance – $2,054, 12^thin the conference.

TL;DR Penn State may be able to hand out the largest stipend to football players in the Big Ten. That is a nice recruiting chip for James Franklin. Good news for Wisconsin and Nebraska too.