Study: College football, basketball players undervalued

USA TODAY Sports Staff | USATODAY

College football and men's basketball players at the NCAA FBS level have an average annual fair market value of $137,000 and $289,000, according to a report released Wednesday.

The study, titled "The $6 Billion Heist: Robbing College Athletes Under the Guise of Amateurism," was conducted jointly by the National College Players Association and the Drexel University Sport Management Department. It determined value using the current revenue-sharing percentages for players in the NFL's and NBA's collective bargaining agreements, as well as the revenues in football and men's basketball reported by schools to the U.S. Government.

The study also found athletic scholarships, with an average annual value of $23,000, did not cover full cost of attendance, falling $3,285 short during 2011-12. A recent proposal to pay stipends to cover full cost of attendance failed to pass at the Division I level.

Though a true pay-for-play system is highly unlikely, the study figures to be of interest in an ongoing anti-trust suit over the use of athletes' likenesses. The lawsuit filed by former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon does "not seek compensation to be paid to current student athletes while they maintain their eligibility."