Steve Spurrier made a splash during his opening statements at SEC Media Days Tuesday afternoon, as the South Carolina head coach called for college football and basketball players to be provided “expense money” and denounced Notre Dame’s independent status in football.
Steve Spurrier objects to Notre Dame’s independence, calls for player compensation
Spurrier said he was speaking for every football and basketball coach in the conference.
USA TODAY Sports
Regarding the potential expense money for college athletes, Spurrier told those listening not to call it “pay-for-play.” He advocated for players and their families to receive roughly $300 per game, helping with parents’ travel expenses and giving players “a little pocket money.” He noted than many college football and basketball players come from economically disadvantaged families and said that all of the SEC’s football and basketball coaches agreed to the plan during the SEC’s spring meetings in May.
To pay for the expenses, Spurrier said it would come out of head coaches’ pockets and would cost $270,000-$290,000.
After discussing potential payments for players and their families, the Ol’ Ball Coach called out Notre Dame on its football independence and said the school doesn’t deserve to carry the same weight of influence as the sport’s conferences. “It’s hard to figure out why” Notre Dame has an equal voice, Spurrier said.
Based on his 21 years at South Carolina and Florida, Spurrier is the dean of SEC coaching. As such, he took on the role as spokesman for his colleagues. In addition to speaking for them on player expenses and Notre Dame’s independence, he also brought up conference scheduling and expressed his desire for more importance being placed on intra-divisional games. He pointed out that cross-divisional scheduling can give some teams big advantages in the race for the SEC Championship Game. Last year, the Gamecocks played LSU and Arkansas from the SEC West, while Georgia played Ole Miss and Auburn.
When Spurrier speaks, it’s usually the highlight of SEC Media Days. He didn’t disappoint on Tuesday.
More from SB Nation:
See More:
