Midshipmen, and I presume Cadets get the pay of 1/2 an 0-1 (half an ensign's pay in my case) At least in my day...which is getting to be a helluva long time ago! However a lot of the initial stuff you are issue, gets paid for out of that, so you don't see much cash EVER, and hardly any the first couple of years. I probably had to pay for six dress (white and blue) uniforms, overcoat, trenchcoat, mess dress uniforms, the glorious dress khakis, all kinds of working uniforms, all kinds of shoes and boots, socks, undies, bayonet belt, the list goes on and on...just a lot of shit. So, though the "pay" sounds not so bad, very little cash flow. Good example, we signed a contract for our class ring as early juniors or maybe late sophomores. A contract. Between then and when we received them, June of our junior year, the price of gold went through the roof, so somehow, contract in hand, we were charged over double what we signed for, and it conveniently came out of our pay. There was all kinds of crap like that, charges, expenses, etc. Like I say, very little cash flow. IRT David Robinson, he was commissioned, served in some sort of staff corps deal for a couple of years, then was put in reserves. He was too tall for any decent active duty (Unrestricted Line Officer -- real operational) jobs, and the PR for the navy that resulted in his B-ball career, IMHO, more than paid back for his USNA education.
It works the same way for initial entry, you get handed two duffel bags worth of shit and they take it out of your pay as you progress through basic training. That was 12 weeks and by the end of it all I had a nice chunk of party money by the time I marched across the parade ground. I'd have to think pay for the cadets has progressed a little at least. Like I said, they are being paid for their service not to play sports. Right?
That was my question when I started this thread. Since they are in the military as cadets they are entitled to be paid at whatever pay grade they qualified for and their assigned duties entail going to school but basically that is their full time job whether they play sports or not. At regular colleges athletes in the major sports can't have jobs at all except for in the summer.
Dont say that shit too loudly. Its clear that the ncaa hasn't caught on yet and when they do all 3 military academies will be put on double secret probation. All wins in history vacated and the like. Point is, there is a difference in Rhett Bomar taking money for selling cars he didn't sell and some kid that signs a contract to serve. I see no issue with it.
Of you are a good football player at a major player school you get paid. Your money is under the table and comes from rich boosters.
of course, i meant above board. decades ago i was a ra in the athlete's dorm. had to sort mail. i remember what it was like on a player's bday.
They're not paid for being an athlete. They're paid for being servicemen just like everyone else I assume. I don't see how that's any different than being paid to work at the LSU Bookstore in terms of an athlete being paid.
How many LSU players work at the bookstore? Unless they get $30 an hour for turning the lights on and off.
I think the point is that there are significant limitations to athletes jobs. I assume an exception has been made.
