The men’s basketball NCAA Tournament is the largest money maker in college sports. In 2002, CBS signed a $6 billion deal to televise the championship for 11 years.

But of the hundreds of millions of dollars to be made during the next three weeks, the tournament’s participants won’t see a dime.

NCAA rules mandate to compete in college athletics, a student-athlete must be an amateur. Athletes are not allowed to receive any rewards other than their athletic scholarships for playing a college sport.

In February, Nebraska state senator Ernie Chambers proposed a bill to pay the University of Nebraska football players a small stipend (around $500) each season.

‘(The bill) will be a powerful message,’ Chambers told the Associated Press, ‘to the NCAA legislators who are looking at this issue.’

The NCAA has refused to comment on the proposed Nebraska bill.

‘College football has become a multi-million dollar industry that should do better for its athletes,’ Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns said to the Associated Press.

If passed, it would challenge the long-standing NCAA tradition of amateurism and possibly apply to men’s basketball as well as football.

Iowa State coach Larry Eustachy made headlines three weeks ago when he stated his support for compensation for players. He said players that produce so much money should be paid.

‘I think (a stipend) is great,’ Eustachy said. ‘Some of our players hardly have enough money to eat properly. They create a lot of revenue, a lot of people get rich over (the players), including the coaches.’

After Eustachy’s lead, several Big 12 coaches took a stand. Missouri coach Quin Snyder said compensation for revenue-producing athletes would be fair.

‘Athletes who are making genuine revenue for universities should be compensated,’ Snyder said.

Kansas coach Roy Williams said athletic scholarships should provide equal benefits to the scholarships given to students for academics. Williams said many academic scholarships provide a stipend. He doesn’t see why athletes with similar monetary needs are not eligible for the same financial assistance.

Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson said compensation for players would work in an ideal world, but not in the current landscape of college sports.

Sampson said before any money could be given to athletes playing revenue sports, schools must consider the consequences for other programs, specifically women’s sports.

‘Do they have another bill to protect themselves from the lawsuit?’ Sampson asked. ‘That is coming from non-revenue sports. It bothers me that a university is going to write a check to a student-athlete for a stipend without writing a check to every student-athlete.’

Sampson said female athletes such as his daughter, a rower, work just as hard and deserve the same compensation as a basketball player.

‘Unless you do it for everybody,’ Sampson said, ‘you can’t do it for one.’

NO. 14 MANHATTAN (+7.5) VS. NO. 3 SYRACUSE

FRIDAY, 12:15 P.M. CBS

Finally, MAAC Player of the Year Luis Flores gets to play on a national stage.

The junior guard should be able to score big against Syracuse’s zone, but the Jaspers have nobody who can match up with National Freshman of the Year Carmelo Anthony.

The Orangemen will be challenged but will survive for another game in Boston.

PICK: SYRACUSE 80, MANHATTAN 68

NO. 10 ALABAMA (Pick’em) vs NO. 7 INDIANA

FRIDAY, 9:40 P.M. CBS

Each team found itself in the top 10 early but out of the rankings by the middle of the conference season.

Indiana point guard Tom Coverdale caught fire in last year’s tournament leading the Hoosiers to the NCAA championship game.

The Crimson Tide boasts a balanced lineup featuring center Erwin Dudley and guard Maurice Williams but will be defeated by the Hoosiers, who have more tournament experience.

PICK: INDIANA 74, ALABAMA 72

NO. 10 COLORADO (+3) VS. NO. 7 MICHIGAN STATE

FRIDAY, 7:10 P.M. CBS

Colorado has been the nation’s most unpredictable team. The Buffaloes have wins over Kansas, Texas and Missouri at home, yet lost to Big 12 bottom-dwellers Kansas State and Nebraska on the road.

Michigan State has disappointed all season. Led by a powerful inside game and guard Chris Hill, the Spartans have the talent to beat any team in the nation. They showed that with a win against top-ranked Kentucky earlier in the season.

Look for national-champion coach Tom Izzo to lead the Spartans to the win.

PICK: MICHIGAN STATE 78, COLORADO 65

NO. 9 UTAH (+4) VS. NO. 8 OREGON

FRIDAY, 3 P.M. CBS

Utah’s best player, Britton Johnsen, is questionable with an illness, and the Utes are coming off their worst offensive performance of the season in the Mountain West tournament against UNLV.

Oregon made a long run in the tournament last season led by point guard Luke Ridnour. Guard James Davis shoots better than 40 percent from behind the 3-point line and creates a matchup problem for the Utes.

PICK: OREGON 67, UTAH 66

NO. 11 PENNSYLVANIA (+3) VS NO. 6 OKLAHOMA STATE

FRIDAY, 2:45 P.M. CBS

Pennsylvania comes in as champions of the Ivy League, the nation’s only league without a conference tournament.

Ivy League teams are known for their upsets, and this is one of the strongest representatives in years.

Oklahoma State played against a tough Big 12 schedule all season and behind Victor Williams cruised its way to an at-large bid.

Look for the deliberate, slow-down style of Pennsylvania to frustrate the Cowboys.

PICK: PENNSYLVANIA 77, OKLAHOMA STATE 70

Published on March 19, 2003 at 12:00 pm