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Buzz Bissinger Calls College Football System 'A Form Of Modern Slavery'

Theauthor says the NFL is partly to blame.
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By 

Senior Editor, HuffPost Live

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In a blistering indictment of the NCAA system on Tuesday, Friday Night Lights author Buzz Bissinger described the way the organization and its member institutions treat student athletes as "a form of modern slavery."

"I don't know how else to say it," Bissinger said during a conversation with HuffPost Live. "It's a form of modern slavery, and it's aided and abetted by the NFL. This is the best thing that ever happened to the NFL. They have a free farm system."

Bissinger called college football coaches' salaries "obscene" -- premier college coaches like Alabama's Nick Saban can pull in high seven figures -- and said the athletes deserve a system that offers them "as much money as they can" get.

The author, who visited HuffPost Live to discuss the 25th anniversary of Friday Night Lights, argued that some student athletes are asked to devote their full attention to sports while being "pushed through classes."

 The NCAA and some major conferences have expanded their athletic scholarship programs over the last year to include additional benefits, including cost-of-attendance stipends and the possibility of unlimited meals for athletes. But the system Bissinger describes nevertheless remains more or less in place. 

Bissinger has a solution in mind, though: a free-agent system. "Go to the highest bidder," he said. "[Critics] will say, 'Well, that will create a system of haves and have-nots.' What the hell do you think it is now? It's the same thing. There are five schools, six schools, 10 schools who make the biggest money and get the best players."

"Let these kids make a dime," he added. 

The author said that the NFL should contribute up to $1 billion a year toward scholarships for the students who are being groomed for the league. 

Watch the full HuffPost Live conversation with Buzz Bissinger here.

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Also on HuffPost: 

11 Ways College Athletes Are Treated Worse Than Unpaid Interns
1. Unlike Unpaid Interns, Athletes Are Punished For Making Money Even When They're "Off Work"(01 of11)
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According to NCAA rules, a student-athlete "may not benefit from the use of his or her name, likeness or image used to promote or endorse a commercial product or entity." This bizarre rule gained national attention in February, when University of Minnesota wrestler Joel Bauman alleged he lost his playing eligibility for selling a song under his own name. (Texas A&M football player Johnny Manziel was also recently suspended for signing autographs.) (credit:AP)
2. Athletes' Bosses Make Millions Directly Off Their Success(02 of11)
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As many as 42 college football coaches earned at least $2 million in 2012, and some college basketball coaches -- including University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari (pictured here) -- make more than $5 million. (credit:AP)
3. Corporations Rake In Millions Off Merchandise Made More Popular By Unpaid Players(03 of11)
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Nike took in $4.6 billion in retail sales in 2011 from collegiate-licensed merchandise alone. (credit:Getty Images)
4. Oh, And Video Game Makers Also Profit Off College Athletes(04 of11)
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Under NCAA rules, companies are not allowed to use student-athletes' names to turn a profit. Yet video-game makers have found a way around the rule: allegedly creating virtual players in video games that look and play like the real-life players. (credit:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Flickr" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="55ef4e36e4b002d5c0771a37" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="13" data-vars-position-in-unit="20">Flickr</a>:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30806435@N04/6331109912" role="link" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="hectorir" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="55ef4e36e4b002d5c0771a37" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30806435@N04/6331109912" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="14" data-vars-position-in-unit="21">hectorir</a>)
5. While The Department Of Labor Protects Unpaid Interns, The Very Organization "Protecting" College Athletes Is Arguably Exploiting Them(05 of11)
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Although the NCAA has rules in place to protect college athletes from financial exploitation, basketball announcer Jay Bilas discovered earlier this year that ShopNCAASports.com was breaking these rules to turn a profit. Meanwhile, unpaid internships must meet certain criteria or are otherwise in violation of the law, according to the Fair Labor Standards Act. (credit:Getty Images)
6. Their "Full" Scholarships Can Come Up Thousands Of Dollars Short, And Athletes Often Have To Pay Just To Finish (06 of11)
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In 2011, the Wall Street Journal reported that the average full scholarship at a Football Bowl Series university came up more than $3,000 short of educational expenses. Most student athletes aren't offered full scholarships anyway, particularly in sports that don't generate revenue. (credit:AP)
7. Scholarships Can Be Taken Away In The Blink Of An Eye (07 of11)
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At least in an unpaid internship, interns generally know the duration of their stint with the company. But a majority of athletic scholarships are granted on an annual basis and require a certain level of academic performance, along with "participation expectations” in the athlete's sport. This means that if a student isn't on his A-Game, he could lose his ability to get an education. (credit:AP)
8. There's No Such Thing As A 40-Hour Workweek In College Sports(08 of11)
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Many organizations strongly encourage employers to keep the amount of hours unpaid interns work below 40 per week. But NCAA rules only require college athletes to have one day off per week during the season, and it isn't until the offseason that players get two days off per week. (credit:AP)
9. Players Are Often Not Protected From Emotional Abuse By The "Boss"(09 of11)
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Unpaid interns in most states are protected against certain forms of discrimination and abuse. But it's only so long in a college game before a coach yells at his players. Despite these public displays, college administrators will often turn a blind eye. (credit:AP)
10. Some "Bosses" Have Been Found To Physically Abuse Them As Well(10 of11)
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A video of the now fired former Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice showed him shoving and hitting players while being generally emotionally abusive. (credit:AP)
11. And Players Risk Their Bodies But Get No Guaranteed Insurance Compensation(11 of11)
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Interns, paid or unpaid, are typically required to be protected under their employer's worker's compensation insurance. Not so for athletes, whose injuries can be career-ending. “College athletes aren’t employees, so there’s no workmen’s compensation," said Bob DeMars, a former defensive lineman for University Of Southern California who got hurt while playing football. (credit:AP)

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