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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 28, 1988)
Chambers’ fight to pay athletes not unique By Chuck Green Senior Reporter Sen. Ernie Chambers’ eight-year fight for LB 1226, a bill that would make Comhusker football players employees of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, isn’t unique to Nebraska. Earlier this year, California and Indiana proposed similar legislation and state Sen. Thomas Mann of Iowa proposed a similar plan for athletes at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, as well as other state institu tions. The amendment to LB 1226, requiring ap proval from at least four other Big Eight Con ference states before the bill is enacted, is one reason several key figures in Nebraska think the bill won’t become law. At least one university athletic director in Iowa thinks so, too. Max Urick, athletic director at Iowa State, said he opposes the bill. “I think that just because some athletes are playing sports just to make money, it doesn’t justify their getting more money than average students,” Urick said. ‘‘And it certainly isn’t fair to the athletes in the sports that don’t generate the kind of revenue that football does.” The other six Big Eight athletic directors were unavailable for comment. Urick said he first heard of Chambers’ pro posal several years ago. But despite the grow ing support for the idea, he said, football play ers can make money in other ways. “Mostathletes that have legitimate financial needs have other avenues, such as the Pell Grant funds,” Urick said. Last January at the NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tenn., members voted to raise the Pell Grant allowance from $900 to $1,400 a year, and the priorities of athletes would be placed above those of non-athlete students. Urick said he doesn’t think the bill has a chance to pass. “I haven’t seen enough evidence that it would work the way they want it to,” he said. Urick said the first-round approval given by the Nebraska Legislature last Monday didn’t change his view. “I think it would be a big mistake for anyone to pay athletes above their normal expenses of an education.” Debate over athlete pay bill continues CHAMBERS from Page 1 the emphasis on making money at the expense of a schools’ academic stan dards. Columbia University, he said, recently asked to lower its academic admission standards to accommo date more adequate recruiting to end its losing streak in football. Columbia currently holds a 41 gamc football losing streak, the long est of any college team in history. Chambers said the rest of the Ivy League of which Columbia is a member agreed to reduce academic entrance standards because an im proved football program would bene fit the entire conference. The rest of the conference readily complied, Chambers said, because it and ESPN had recently completed an agreement for a three-year contract to televise Ivy L.eaguc football games. “The lure of money for the lootbal I program has caused (the Ivy L.caguc) — the bastion of national academic standards— to lower their priorities,” Chambers said. Masscngale said support for the bill would create similar problems for UNL’s image. it this bill revolves around the professionalization of amateur ath letes, our supporting it would send out the wrong signal,” he said. “It would give the appearance that we’re em phasizing athletics more than we should.” Chambers said he understands that UNL’s athletic department is con cerned with eligibility of its football program. “But with the amendment that at least four other Big Eight schools have to pass the same type of legisla tion, itwouldaccomplishanumbcrof things,” he said. “It will save Nebraska’s eligibility and it puts on record to people that we’re dealing with a high-octane, multi-million dollar form of enter tainment in which the young men playing the game aren’t being treated fairly ” he said. The most important thing to ac complish, Chambers said, would be to alert the NCAA of the fast-growing problems in college athletics. “The NCAA doesn’t see fit to alter its rules,” Chambers said, “so maybe this will send a message to them that more and more people are ready to deal with the problem at hand.” Harris: Parking could generate business - ... .• *_r_._:i _ rr:_a_*_- • _ DOWNTOWN from Page 1 ness to the downtown area. NebHELP, the Nebraska Higher Educational Loan Program, bought the J.C.Penney building at 13th and 0 streets. Harris said the parking project is incentive for businesses to locate downtown. Harris said the parking spaces re served for University Towers resi dents should make downtown living more attractive and possibly bring in more apartments in the area. This would generate business be cause people arc more likely to shop near their home, he said. Also, the voi iv^iy ui iuxui,v;i i ici/aauu uuuium mcnt in the downtown area will make Lincoln more attractive, Harris said. Doug Farrar, manager of the Post and Nickel, 144 N. 14th St., said the Cenlcrpointc project should bring in customers who haven’t frequented the clothing store. Farrar said customers have com plained about the limited parking in the past and the project is a needed solution. Harris said the project must be approved by the planning depart ment, and construction and financing for the Cenlcrpointc project must be determined before any action is taken. JOSTENS I GOLD RING SALE! 560 OFF 18KB $A0 OFF 14K fl Don’t order your ring until you see Jostens selection of ring designs " *” ^ See your Jostens representative for more details. JOSTENS AMERICA S COLLEGE RING™ Open Monday f fiday 8 5 30 Satuiday 9 b 30 More than ever, ™^more than a Bookstore. QBXw *( )ffer good thru "SHr Sat., April 9, 1988. 1300QStreet (402)476-0111 Campfire blamed for flame A Lincoln firefighter extingiushes a fire at the northeast end of a University of Nebraska Lincoln field on East Campus Saturday. The fire damaged 350-square-feet of grass according to the UNL police department. No one was injured. Officials said a campfire probably caused the fire. WELCOME BACK BEACH BUMS! MONDAY ALL IMPORTS $1.25 ® Featuring Bass Ale, Heineken, Corona, Harp, Fosters, St. Pauli Girl NEW—Carls Berg Elephant Malt Beer AND MORE! (Stop by and say HI to the TWINS!) Then, GET BACK TO THE BEACH WITH A MAUI WEEKEND and LIE AWAKE Friday & Saturday with MAUI TROPICAL SCHNAPPS SPECIALS ssllfl Gunny’s Bldg. 13th & Que ---.-.-.-----.
