If you're Brian Schrader, do you take the $20k and skip senior track season?

Go on take the money and run

I assume it's his 5th year? So could he just graduate now or take a tiny number of credits in the spring? In that case he would not pay much if he gave up his scholarship.

Yes easily take the dough

It's Shrader. And I don't know, you think he'd beat Cheserek or any number of other folks at NCAAs? Take the money.

Haven't looked into him at all and don't know his situation, but could his scholarship, if he has one, be worth more than $20k? Just my two cents.

$20K is a pretty big enlistment bonus. Which regular military branch did he sign with?

It's Shrader. And I don't know, you think he'd beat Cheserek or any number of other folks at NCAAs? Take the money.

road rashed wrote:

Because he has one season left of track, he forgoes $20k prize money. Would you take the money or the eligibility? What does a semester at NAU cost? There's honoring your scholarship, but maybe he doesn't have one. Seems like something worth thinking over.

$20,000 isn't that much. he has the rest of his life to earn that back if he forgoes the prize. but, he'll never have another shot at trying to grab some glory on the track as a college athlete. personally, i wouldn't want to regret giving up my last track season.

Only smart comment on this thread. It's $20k, not $2 million. If he has any talent outside running he'll make that back in a couple months worth of work once he starts a career. What he won't get back is the ability to run D1. $20k is chump change in the grand scheme of things.

20K is nothing these days. I agree with the folks that say your last track season is worth more than the money. If you're any good at life you'll make that in a couple of months once you start working. You will never be able to make up those memories on the track. Those eligibility years of college are precious and you don't get them back. Take advantage of them, it's a special time in your life.

...yeah but he gets to keep his legs

All you people saying he can make 20K back in a couple months, what do you do? Jeez I'd love to make $120K a year right out of college. Hell, I'd love to be able to make $120K in two years.

Maybe you guys all make big bucks and that's great for you, but Shrader goes to NAU, not Stanford or Harvard. I don't know him, no idea if he's smart or not, but based on the school alone he's not going to be making $120K a year and 20 grand pay days are not going to come around very often in the running world.

All that said, I'd still say his last track season is worth more than the money, but let's not underestimate how significant that 20 grand is. A guy like him is not guaranteed a sponsorship after college ... 20 grand could pretty much fund him for an entire year living cheap in Flag chasing the dream. Just realize that struggling sub-elites at Shrader's level are living off 20-25 grand a year and some free shoes after college. He can't just go make it back in a couple of months.

With NCAA rules and regs, can't he keep some of that and still maintain eligibility? I would think he can come up with legit expenses of at least $2-3 thousand. He can probably even fudge about $5-10 thousand.

ray wrote:

With NCAA rules and regs, can't he keep some of that and still maintain eligibility? I would think he can come up with legit expenses of at least $2-3 thousand. He can probably even fudge about $5-10 thousand.

I'm not sure but, I think:

ncaa rules allow you to keep money up to the travel for a race. So maybe Schrader could keep a grand if he flew to DC and stayed in a nice hotel. Probably only like half that though. This might not be the rule.

He definitely can't fudge though. If you're a coach competing against NAU, you're going to be checking. Making sure Schrader isn't eligible if he took the money is a way to keep 20+ points out of NAU's hands at conference.

It's more like 14K after setting aside for taxes. Still a good chunk of change. I'd take the $$$.

Run track but stay an extra day in a first class hotel, eat like a king and fly first class on the way home. Also rent a lambo. That's easily 10 grand right there.

ASAC Shrader should take the cassshhhhhhhhhh, and then start a meth lab to turn the tables on Walter White

Is there a third option in this situation? Specifically, is there a way to delay payment to Schrader until after his NCAA track season is over? I don't know what NCAA rules state about this, but if there were a way to defer receipt of prize money, then he could have his cake and eat it, too...

Well if he forgoes the money Diego gets it instead, right? Well, being as close as they are I would assume they can work something out behind the scenes.