By all accounts it appears as though Penn State is currently in position to be able to offer the largest player stipends once Big Ten programs begin handing out stipends to scholarship athletes this year. If the numbers hold firm, then Penn State’s coaching staff will figure to have a legitimate recruiting advantage in one particular area, but that could be a minor concern that will need to be addressed.
David Jones of The Patriot News shared the projected stipend numbers each Big Ten member could feasibly be preparing to hand out to student-athletes later this year. According to the information reported and shared by Jones, Penn State could hand out $4,788 to players, which would be more than any other Big Ten team would offer. It is about twice as much as Ohio State is projected to make available and far more than the money Michigan and Michigan State would have to offer.
If there is one thing I have learned in all my years of following college football, it is that money can be the root of any number of problems. If Penn State is going to be handing out more walking-around money than any other program in the Big Ten, then the character assessment needs to be as thorough as it has ever been.
Typically I prefer to look for the best qualities in just about anything and anybody. I do this almost to a fault most of the time. I would like to think when players are handed stipend money that it will be used wisely, but I know not all of it will. I was once in college too, so I know some of that money will be used for something other than the typical living expenses we are supposed to believe the powers that be care so much about. Some players will budget accordingly while others will buy a new watch or a PlayStation 4 game or a new set of headphones. My intent is not to suggest all players will put their money to poor use, but there will be some that do not handle it well.
If Penn State is to offer the most money in stipends, then it should become a valuable recruiting tool. Any school offering the most valuable stipends in any conference would be in that situation. It could also attract some players that may not have considered Penn State before. After all, money has a way of talking. This is not necessarily a bad thing in terms of recruiting, but it could lead to the coaching staff to having to be more careful in choosing which players receive scholarship offers and which do not. Penn State head coach James Franklin has spoken multiple times about the high character Penn State’s players possess, and that plays well with fans. It could very well be true too, but we all know there are some players out there that are focused on one thing and one thing only; making a buck. Will Penn State, if handing out the largest stipends in the Big Ten, start entertaining players with that kind of mentality?
As a fan, you may not care as long as that player helps the team win. If that is the case, then college football has taken one more step toward being more of a professional sport.
This is all uncharted territory in college athletics. It is exciting and alarming all at the same time.
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