Clemson preparing for (legal) payments
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is ready to dole out cost-of-attendance stipends with his team when class begins in August, and to tell prospects how much they can receive as part of the new NCAA rule permitting Division I schools to give scholarship athletes a check to cover personal expenses.
“It’s the first time cash is allowed in recruiting – legally,” Swinney said at the ACC Kickoff.
Swinney said precautions are in place for the roughly $2,000 per semester that Clemson athletes will receive. Swinney said the team will receive a budgeting seminar to help prepare them for the money.
“You’ve got this money you’ve never had – here’s what you should do and should not do,” Swinney said.
Swinney said he has concerns that his players, like many college students, won’t handle the money wisely. Players who live off campus receive money to cover rent, as do those who receive Pell Grant funds. To guard against misuse, players receive the money in five disbursements over the course of the semester rather than one lump sum.
“You hope they’re paying the bills and doing the things they need to do,” he said.
About the Author
Ken Sugiura is a sports columnist at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Formerly the Georgia Tech beat reporter, Sugiura started at the AJC in 1998 and has covered a variety of beats, mostly within sports.
