Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has expressed his willingness to take a lower salary if it means college football players and other athletes would be compensated. Harbaugh, a long-time advocate for paying players, made these comments during a news conference ahead of Michigan’s Big Ten championship game against Iowa.
Harbaugh highlighted the sacrifice athletes make, particularly pointing to an incident where offensive lineman Zak Zinter broke his leg during a recent game. He emphasized the need for players to be compensated, suggesting that coaches, including himself, should use their voices to support this cause. Harbaugh’s base salary is $7.63 million this year, with the possibility of an additional $3 million in bonuses.
While college athletes are allowed to earn money from their name, image, and likeness (NIL), they currently do not receive direct payment from schools. Harbaugh’s stance aligns with the ongoing debate about compensating college athletes, especially given the significant revenue generated by college athletics through television contracts and other sources.
Harbaugh urged other coaches to join the cause and use their platforms to advocate for student-athletes to share in the increasing revenue of college sports. He emphasized that this issue is not limited to football players but extends to all student-athletes.
College sports have seen a substantial increase in revenue, with conferences like the Big Ten securing lucrative television contracts. The push for compensating college athletes has gained momentum in recent years, and Harbaugh’s willingness to take a lower salary adds a notable voice to the ongoing discussion.
Harbaugh, who recently completed a three-game sideline suspension for violating the Big Ten sportsmanship policy in connection to the Michigan sign-stealing scandal, is returning to the sideline for Michigan’s championship game against Iowa. The Wolverines, with a perfect 12-0 record, will face Iowa (10-2) in their quest for a third straight Big Ten championship.
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