Who pays for Centrowitz to chase the standards

College athletes can accept assistance as long as they get no more money than what was required to go to the meet(including hotel costs, food costs, etc.)

Assistance from....Nike?

Being the US champion, Centro will be a prized commodity in Europe. The Meets will Pay for all his expenses once he gets there, possibly even his flight to Europe.

No different to when the americans used to travel to Europe in the days of Pre.

so paying his expenses is acceptable? That doesn't seem right. I know this has happened many times before, but what are the specific rules?

Who pays wrote:

so paying his expenses is acceptable? That doesn't seem right. I know this has happened many times before, but what are the specific rules?

Why isn't this acceptable? Should our state of athletics be in even more of a state of shambles by not allowing athletes to make money at all?

So, an all expense paid vacation to Europe, for a non-NCAA meet is okay? This isn't considered a gift, or preferential treatment? These meets are run by private enterprise, and are invitation only. I understand that this happens even at the high school level, but nothing about this conveys amateur.

Amateur Shmamateur...

I think you have the wrong impression of these trips. I would not classify it as "an all expense paid vacation". From what I have heard, there is little time for site seeing and fun. It is basically staying in your hotel room and training, racing, and recovering.

Stupid college rules need to go away. Only purpose of it is to fill the pockets of the Universities.

I'd argue that it is not a gift or preferential treatment. Hes not making money off it, just getting the opportunity to run against a level of competition that he has proved he is worthy of.

These meets aren't just picking random NCAA athletes to go run - only the best/internationally competitive ones.

This should be acceptable because its allowing an excellent athlete to continue competing in their sport at the highest level. A very different situation than a tattoo parlor giving out free tattoos to athletes...

He is getting a free experience, based soley on his athletic ability. That is preferential treatment. Whether or not it is a business trip, or a vacation, he will still have a great memory, most of us would pay for. It is a gift.

Who pays wrote:

He is getting a free experience, based soley on his athletic ability. That is preferential treatment. Whether or not it is a business trip, or a vacation, he will still have a great memory, most of us would pay for. It is a gift.

When a team sends their best runner to Stanford to chase a fast time, and leaves the 14:10 guy home, it's preferential treatment. It might be a great memory for the guy who went. It's still not a gift.

Free experience? Your argument undermines the entire NCAA. I get a free experience working out on my college track so I guess that's a violation. A football team can fly to a bowl game across the country, not drastically different than flying to a meet. Yes, Centro probably will have the opportunity to see and do some unique things in Europe, but he isn't being compensated to do those things.

Who pays wrote:

He is getting a free experience, based soley on his athletic ability. That is preferential treatment. Whether or not it is a business trip, or a vacation, he will still have a great memory, most of us would pay for. It is a gift.

Sorry. You don't have preferential defined correctly in this context.

What you need to get over is the idea of preferential versus EARNED. As the US Champion he has reasonably earned the opportunity to compete abroad. Preferential treatment in this case might be some kid bumping around at 3:52 getting an expenses paid trip to compete in the Diamond League. Even then, it could still be allowable.

You can't put a monetary value to memories and experience, it doesn't work like that.

Get over it and move on with your life.

Are Diamond League meets NCAA sanctioned?

FYI: The NCAA allows colleges to travel internationally to compete (I think the rule is once every 4 years), so technically, Oregon can send Matt Centrowitz and all his teammates to Europe to race and this would be acceptable. Meets can pay for athletes to fly over to europe, travel between meets, etc. This is really no different than a college meet providing partial funding for the better teams to attend (I am pretty sure Penn and Drake do this). USATF pays travel for some athletes to go to USAs, even if they are in college.

To me, the sketchier issue is that Centro will 100% have the help of an agent over there - this is not expressly illegal as long as he doesn't sign with an agent, however it is implicitly assumed that whatever agent helps him out will be the one he eventually signs with.

AZguy wrote:

I think you have the wrong impression of these trips. I would not classify it as "an all expense paid vacation". From what I have heard, there is little time for site seeing and fun. It is basically staying in your hotel room and training, racing, and recovering.

actually there is a lot of time for site seeing.

Think of it from an income tax perspective.

A company can pay for a business trip, travel, lodging, meals.

The IRS does not tax you for a free experience that you may have enjoyed while you were there.

If the company pays your expenses to go on vacation and no business is conducted, then payment of expenses can be considered taxable income.

If a college athlete does not profit from racing in Europe (money received does not exceed expenses) then he remains eligible.

Who pays? I'd like to know more details on that.

USATF can pay. Their college can pay. The meets can pay.

I think.

Who pays for the football players to go to bowl games? By the retarded logic of the OP this would also be illegal.