Purdue To Follow Big Ten Guidance On Athlete Pay

Purdue University Athletics Department officials say it’s too soon to tell whether the school will adopt its own policy in the wake of NCAA officials making it legal for college athletes to accept money and hire agents.

Athletics Media Relations Director Tom Schott says for now, the school will follow general guidelines released Thursday morning by the Big Ten Conference.

That statement says months of dialogue between the conference and its member schools are likely ahead before any Big Ten-specific plans are announced.

It also reiterates the conference’s stance that collegiate athletes are not professionals and that any compensation given to athletes should not act “as a substitute for compensation related to athletic performance or participation.”

In other words, if a student receives an endorsement deal, it should not detract from any athletic scholarship money that athlete also receives.

The statement also says Conference leaders believe any rules that are eventually adopted must apply to all Division One programs, in the interest of fairness.