Jim Boeheim Calls Paying NCAA Basketball Players ‘Idiotic’


by Bill DiFilippo / @bflip33

One of the biggest debates in sports is whether or not college athletes should get paid, and Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim doesn’t like that.

When asked about the issue yesterday, Boeheim had some choice words on the topic, saying ”that’s really the most idiotic suggestion of all time. I don’t believe players should be paid. I believe they are getting a tremendous opportunity.”

From Yahoo:

Boeheim took exception with retired NBA star Chris Webber’s complaint he received nothing after his team shirt was sold. In a documentary released earlier this year, Webber lamented that while a student-athlete at Michigan, his team jersey sold in a campus store for $75 without any money going to him.

Boeheim also noted that college athletes who demonstrate a financial need are awarded Pell grants that can be $6-$7,000 on top of the free tuition, room, board and at least a half-dozen pairs of athletic shoes a year.

On the court, Boehiem’s Orange kick off their season on November 8, when the team hosts Cornell.