"Show me the $Money$" Athletes deserve prompt payments

We are now almost a month into school. University payments were due on Aug. 31 for all students.

However, most student-athletes just received their athletic scholarships, I believe, last week.

That is absurd.

I have always wondered if this is the same financial process at every university, or just Florida Atlantic. Probably only FAU!

I understand it may sound a little pushy. But you have to think about this.

Student-athletes already have enough to worry about in the first month of school:

• Mandatory workshops for all student-athletes (about 10 total)


• Daily practice and conditioning every morning starting at six and possibly ending the day by 7 p.m. depending on the sport and class schedule


• New class assignments, tests, and mandatory attendance (yes, we have to go because they have "class checkers" for athletes)


• Every boring, never-ending meeting you can possibly think of: NCAA, Drug testing, Academic, Gambling, etc.


• Physical/ Health Center check-ups


• Eight hours of study hall per week

What I am trying to point out is that with all the extra stress athletes carry, the last thing we want to worry about is money.

And how does the athletic department not have our money "ready?" They work all summer, so what else did they have to do?

Just because athletes don't get penalized for university late fees (only because it is not our fault that the money isn't "ready"), doesn't mean that we don't get penalized for late rent, no textbooks and missing class assignments, empty food cabinets, and much more.

If student-athletes come to school in August and don't have their scholarship money, then how are they suppose to survive? A job? Ha, very funny.

Let's find time for a job in a student-athlete's schedule:

A typical Wednesday for a football player

1. Wake-up 6:45 a.m.


2. Team meetings 7:15 a.m.-8:45 a.m.


3. Practice 9 a.m.-12 p.m.


4. Class 12:30 p.m.-1:50 p.m.


5. Lunch (eat in study hall or in coach's office to watch film) 2 p.m.-3:30p.m.


6. Class 4 p.m.-5:50 p.m.


7. Dinner 6 p.m.- 7:15 p.m.


8. Weights 7:45 p.m.- 9 p.m.


9. Study hall 9 p.m.- 10 p.m.

So, how does that sound?

As you can see, there is no time for a hangover recovery from the drunken night before, no four hour nap between classes, most likely no leaving campus all day, period.

If there is barely time to eat, then how would there be time to get a job?

Bottom line- School starts around the same time every year, so if you know it will take a month to prepare our scholarships .... Start them earlier.

We bust ourselves in practice and school everyday for you to have a job, so do your job.

Because we need our money, and we need it now.