The Battalion - October 10, 2019

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2019 STUDENT MEDIA

PLAYING MONEYBALL FILE

Matthew Gaines was a preacher and Texas state senator who lived from 1840 to 1900.

Gaining strength

Matthew Gaines Initiative beginning outreach and fundraising for statue Photos by Meredith Seaver and Paul Burke — THE BATTALION

Proponents of a new California law say student-athletes could benefit greatly from the right to use their names and likenesses for profit.

(Pictured above: Juniors Kellen Mond, Barnaby Smith and Chennedy Carter.)

New California law reignites debate over payment for college athletes

By Hannah Underwood and Brady Stone @hannahbunderwoo & @bradystonex In 2017, former Texas A&M cross country runner Ryan Trahan quit the team and dropped out of college following a dispute between him, the university and the NCAA. Trahan, who had a budding YouTube channel as well as a water bottle company, was given a choice: either demonetize his channel and focus solely on his career as an athlete, or create content that included pro-

motion of his company but did not mention his athletics.

Since his departure, Trahan has done well for himself, boasting a YouTube channel with 1.97 million subscribers.

But there is always the question of what could have been if the NCAA loosened restrictions regarding athletes’ use of their own name, image and likeness.

“These restrictions they place on the athletes blows my mind,” Trahan said in a 2017 YouTube video. “I don’t understand how I’m allowed to have a job working at McDonald’s while being a student-athlete, but I can’t have a company I’m passionate about that I’ve been working on for over a year.”

Sayvon Foster, a graduate research and

teaching assistant with A&M’s department of sport management, said NCAA restrictions leave college athletes at a disadvantage because other non-athletes are able to profit from their own talents and interests.

“I think with the amount of money that’s made when it comes to college athletics, if student-athletes aren’t getting paid from the university or the NCAA, they should be able to make money off their image and likeness,” Foster said. “I’m pretty sure there are students in various bands and choirs that are also cutting albums and making money from it, so if a student-athlete is popular and they want to start a YouTube channel or be in an advertisement, they should have the NCAA ON PG. 5

By Camryn Lang @CamrynLang Decades after the project was initially proposed, the initiative to create a statue of Matthew Gaines on campus has gained renewed support among Aggies.

A former slave turned statesman, Gaines spent much of his life in the Brazos Valley, serving as Washington County’s first African-American state senator. During his time in the 12th Texas Legislature, he was a vocal supporter of Senate Bill 276, which allowed the state to establish the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas under the Morrill Land Grant Act. The Student Senate passed the Matthew Gaines Statue Commemoration Bill on Nov. 1, 2018, beginning the four-year process of memorializing the former Texas Senator on campus. Since then, the Matthew Gaines Initiative has started raising funds to meet its $350,000 GAINES ON PG. 4

Taking on the Crimson Tide A&M gets back to basics, prepares to host top-ranked Alabama in Kyle Field

By Dylan Poitevint @Poitite

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

The Texas A&M football team defeated Arkansas 31-27 on Sept. 28 before turning its attention to the Alabama Crimson Tide, which will come to Kyle Field on Saturday.

Texas A&M is set to face Alabama after both teams had bye weeks. This game will prove to be another test in the Aggies’ daunting schedule as this will be the second top-tier team A&M has faced this season.

The No. 24 Aggies have struggled against ranked opponents this season, with losses to No. 2 Clemson and No. 12 Auburn. The Crimson Tide has reclaimed its spot at No. 1, and the Aggies have used their time during the bye week to return to the fundamentals, correcting issues they faced in the beginning of the season.

A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said his team returned to fall camp-style practices last week to help refine the Aggies’ technique for the

Alabama game.

“We went back and competed very hard and technically got better,” Fisher said. “We went back to a lot of drills that let them go back to the fundamentals and not think about scheme. You really can technically do things and make things a better habit than they were before, and I thought we did a good job of that.”

The Tide has shown incredible strength this season, especially offensively, and is ranked No. 4 in total offense nationally. A leading factor in this production is junior quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is putting together a near-perfect start to the season. Tagovailoa has already accumulated 1,718 yards with 23 touchdowns and no interceptions. In addition to phenomenal quarterback play, Alabama holds a host of talented receivers and running backs, along with a dominant offensive line.

This offense shows few weaknesses, and A&M sophomore defensive tackle Bobby TIDE ON PG. 3

A little help from our friends New nonprofit looks to provide funds and other resources for The Battalion

By Sanna Bhai @BhaiSanna While celebrating the 125th anniversary of a beloved part of their college careers in March, Battalion alumni were made aware of the newspaper’s current financial hardships and decided to take action.

Within a three-month span, Friends of The Battalion was created and certified as a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, focused on raising funds and providing other forms of support for the student newspaper at Texas A&M. The model for this organization came from The Battalion counterpart down in Austin, The Daily Texan.

Kathleen McElroy, Class of 1982, a Friends of The Battalion board member and director of the University of Texas School of Journal-

ism, said this organization is meant to support student journalists through funding and mentorship. When UT’s student paper went through a similar period of financial distress, the Friends of The Daily Texan organization was able to help them turn it around, and she is hopeful that this will happen for The Battalion as well.

“I think the idea is to give The Battalion a little bit more support, any support that can be provided beyond what Texas A&M provides,” McElroy said.

Carol Snowden, Class of 1982 and Friends of The Battalion chairman, said the friends model is unique because it allows anyone to join and donate.

“The Friends of The Battalion are not just Aggies, and they are not just journalists,” Snowden said. “All friends organizations are open, and our friends organization welcomes everyone.”

As an independent organization, Friends of

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Friends of The Battalion was created over the summer and recently received 501(c)(3) status.

BATT ON PG. 5

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3 things to watch for during A&M-Alabama

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The bye week may have felt like forever for some Aggie fans, as anticipation for Texas A&M’s matchup against Alabama continues to build. Coming off a shaky win against the Arkansas team, the opportunity is ripe for A&M to bounce back from offensive struggles. Here are three things to look for as the Aggies take on the Crimson Tide.

By Alek Caro @orackela

1

Kyle Field Much has been made of the advantage Kyle Field may or may not provide to the Aggies; this is in light of ESPN’s lead broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit’s comments about A&M football’s home.

Herbstreit pointed out that the Aggies haven’t necessarily won big games at Kyle Field, given their 5-11 record against ranked opponents at home since 2012. Herbstreit probably made the comments in light of A&M’s recent loss to Auburn, but the weather is finally changing here in College Station. With the temperatures falling and motivation rising, expect a huge crowd in Kyle Field Saturday afternoon.

2

Tua Tagovailoa

3

Alabama’s Defensive Front

This is going to be Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s first visit to Kyle Field, and because he’s expected to be a high pick in the NFL Draft this coming spring, it may also be his last. Though it’s still early in the season, Tagovailoa is one of the few legitimate Heisman contenders in the country, with 1,718 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and no interceptions. The Aggies still have some hope though, as a lesser A&M team kept th eventual national champions within one score during the Tide’s 2017 visit to Kyle Field.

Alabama’s defensive front features many highly touted prospects. Raekwon Davis is quite literally one of the biggest name in college football right now. At 36-foot-7 and 312 pounds, the senior defensive tackle has accumulated 25 tackles this season. Linebackers Shane Lee and Anfernee Jennings have been wreaking havoc all season for the Crimson Tide. Lee leads the defensive front with 30 tackles this season and a sack. Jennings leads the team with three sacks and 29 tackles. This is one of the tougher defensive fronts the Aggies will face this season. A motivated A&M offensive line will look to prove itself on Saturday.

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Luke Henkhaus, Editor-in-Chief Samantha Mahler, Managing Editor Sanna Bhai, News Editor Camryn Lang, Asst. News Editor Hollis Mills, Life & Arts Editor Meagan Sheffield, Life & Arts Editor Hannah Underwood, Sports Editor Brian Bass, Asst. Sports Editor Jane Turchi, Maroon Life Editor

Meredith Seaver, Photo Chief Henry Mureithi, Opinion Editor Cole Fowler, Asst. Opinion Editor Lexi Ellis, Social Media Editor Daoud Qamar, Multimedia Editor Robert Castro, Asst. Multimedia Editor Demi Navarro, Asst. Multimedia Editor Brady Stone, Page Designer Sydney Clark, Page Designer

THE BATTALION is published Thursdays during the 2019 fall semester (except University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. Offices are in Suite L400 of the Memorial Student Center.

News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in Student Media, a unit of the Division of Student Affairs. Newsroom phone: 979-845-3315; E-mail: editor@thebatt.com; website: http://www.thebatt.com.

Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display advertising call 979-845-2687. For classified advertising, call 979-845-0569. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Email: battads@thebatt.com.

Subscriptions: A part of the University Advancement Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. First copy free, additional copies $1.

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AROUND THE SEC

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A LOOK AT THE CONFERENCE FOR WEEK 7 Week 6 in the SEC saw Florida’s defense embarrass Auburn’s Bo Nix, Ole Miss rush for over 400 yards against Vanderbilt and Georgia overcome an early deficit to destroy Tennessee in Rocky Top. This week, several SEC rivals face off against each other with playoff implications, bragging rights and bowl eligibility on the line. Let’s look at what’s happening around the SEC this week.

By Jackson King @MrJacksonTKing

No. 7 Florida (6-0) at No. 5 LSU (5-0)

South Carolina (2-3) at No. 3 Georgia (5-0)

Saturday, Oct. 12 — Tiger Stadium — Baton Rouge, Louisiana 7 p.m. on ESPN

Saturday, Oct. 12 — Stanford Station — Athens, Georgia 11 a.m. on ESPN

The top matchup of the weekend sees Florida, fresh off a huge win over Auburn, traveling to Death Valley in hopes of pulling off another upset against LSU. This season, the Gators have put themselves in position to challenge Georgia for the SEC East, thanks to their great defense and solid play from quarterback Kyle Trask. Against the Tigers, the Florida defense smothered Auburn, forcing quarterback Bo Nix to make silly mistakes and creating four turnovers. On the season, Florida has the fifth best scoring defense in the nation and is tied for second in forcing turnovers. This year, the Gators face an LSU team with extra momentum, as its new lethal passing attack has made it one of the most dangerous teams in the country. With Joe Burrow under center this season, the Tigers have the second best passing offense in the nation, throwing for 431.8 yards per game, and they lead the nation in scoring with 57.8 points per game. If the Gators hope to win this game, they will need the rushing attack — led by Lamical Perine — to make another appearance and for Trask to limit mistakes, as his three fumbles against Auburn nearly cost them the game.

This early matchup sees South Carolina travel to Athens to try and pull a miracle upset against Georgia. The Gamecocks, have struggled in the early part of the season, losing a close opener against North Carolina before blowout losses to Alabama and Missouri. But in its last game — a win over Kentucky — South Carolina showed promise. Tailbacks Tavien Feaster and Rico Dowdle both rushed for over 100 yards, while the defense was able to force Kentucky into making mistakes. Georgia enters this matchup with a chance to build on its early-season success, including keeping pace with Florida in what has turned into a two-team SEC East race. For the Bulldogs, a strong rushing attack, along with the steady play of quarterback Jake Fromm, has created an offense with a dynamic attack. Combined with a defense that stifled Tennessee in the second half, Georgia is a legitimate threat for the National Championship. In this matchup, South Carolina will need to be aggressive on the ground and have quarterback Ryan Hilinski limit mistakes if the Gamecocks hope to upset Georgia.

Prediction: Georgia 31, South Carolina 14

Prediction: LSU 31, Florida 17

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The Aggies lost to the second-best team in Alabama — they have no chance against No.1.

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Since the 2012 victory in Tuscaluosa, the closest the Aggies have come in recent years to another win was their 27-19 loss in 2017.

Brown said the Aggies will need to limit mistakes on Saturday.

“You’ve got to play football,’’ Brown said. “Alabama doesn’t make many mistakes. You’ve got to basically match everything. You’ve got to match their game and be able to play your own game.”

A&M will need to play a near-perfect game in order to compete with Alabama, and that means the Aggies will need to find fast improvement, especially in the offense.

Offensively, A&M ranks 58th nationally and averages 426 yards a game. However, only 133 of those yards come on the ground as the Aggies are only 92nd nationally in rushing offense. It is crucial that A&M opens up the ground game against the Tide.

The team cannot afford to force junior quarterback Kellen Mond to do it all — especially against a strong secondary like Alabama’s.

Mond has thrown for 1,333 yards but has only 10 touchdowns to four interceptions. The Aggies will likely be forced to play this game in the air, and Mond said he will need to play a career game for the Aggies.

A&M will need to limit interceptions against Alabama, as the Aggies have struggled with this in recent years against the Tide. That, and converting red zone drives into points, will be the key to the game for A&M. “Obviously they’re a really good team defensively, and they’re disciplined,” Mond said. “They make plays on the defensive side of the ball, and when you give Tua and their offense that capability and that type of swing of momentum, they usually capitalize off of that, so it will be really important for us to limit turnovers and convert in the red zone.”

Kickoff for the matchup between the Aggies and the Crimson Tide is set for 2:30 p.m. at Kyle Field in College Station. The game will be televised on CBS.

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The Battalion | 10.10.19

GAINES CONTINUED

FILE

Dave South, known as the “Voice of the Aggies,” worked as A&M football’s play-by-play radio announcer for 32 years.

Memories from behind the microphone Former A&M radio announcer Dave South pens book filled with stories from his career Alex Miller

A

@AlexMill20 lmost 50 years of memories and stories from Texas A&M’s former play-by-play sports radio announcer can be found in one

book.

Dave South’s “You Saw Me on the Radio” chronicles his 48-year career behind the microphone with an emphasis on his 32-year tenure as the voice of A&M athletics. South retired in 2018 as the voice of Aggie football and men’s basketball but still calls A&M baseball games.

“As I would go out and speak to Aggie groups over the last 30 years, I’m a storyteller and I told lots of stories,” South said. “Every time we would, as time went by, especially over the last 20 or so years, people kept saying, ‘Why don’t you write a book and tell some of those stories?’”

From South’s start as a radio broadcaster to a behind-the-scenes look at how South prepared for and called games, this book encompasses many unforgettable stories from South in the booth and in life, too, that many Aggie fans will enjoy and appreciate. South and his wife, Leanne, penned and edited the book in just six weeks.

“Dave is the voice of Aggie athletics,” said Alan Cannon, who wrote the book’s foreword and serves as Texas A&M’s head sports information director. “I go back in time to when he first came in the 80s, not every game was televised, so my grandfather in East Texas would scan the

radio dial and when he would hear Dave’s voice he knew he had found Aggie athletics.”

Chapters such as “The Coaches,” “Fans” and “Games” recount the relationships South formed on and off the field and share his perspective on some of the biggest games in A&M history.

There’s even a chapter titled “Goofs” where South shares some of his embarrassing moments, including a halftime interview at the 1985 Sun Bowl when South didn’t know he was talking with the Treasurer of the United States.

“I thought he and his wife, Leanne, did a wonderful job with the book,” Cannon said. “At some point, it may get old just story after story after story, but in my opinion, there is not a person that has seen more Aggie athletic events because he’s always been home and away for football, basketball and baseball.”

All author proceeds from the sale of South’s book will go toward the Wounded Warrior Project, a cause South himself chose for a specific purpose.

In the chapter titled “People,” South tells the story of his interaction with a fan named Matt Bradford, a Kentucky basketball fan and retired Marine who came to see the Wildcats play the Aggies in College Station in February of 2013.

In 2007, Bradford stepped on a roadside bomb while deployed in Iraq, causing him to lose his eyesight, both legs at the knees and the use of one arm. Since then, South has stayed in touch with Bradford, who graduated from Kentucky in 2017 and has gone on to skydive and partici-

pate in half-marathons.

“He and I have developed a relationship and he is a very special young man,” South said. “You would never know he’s had the hardships in life he’s had because he’s so positive about everything, and that inspired me to make the Wounded Warriors the destination for the royalties that we’re going to receive.”

There are plenty of stories that didn’t make the 126-page book South said, which means there’s a possibility another book could be written.

“We’ll see how this book does, and if it does well then we might do another,” South said. “They told me that after you write this book, you’re going to start thinking of stories you wanted to include but you just forgot. If this does well for the Wounded Warriors Project, then there’s a possibility we might do a second book.”

Aside from giving a glimpse into South’s life, South said he hopes people enjoy the stories and get a laugh from them.

“I think laughing is very important,” South said. “A sense of humor is very important and God has blessed me with a sense of humor. I think a sense of humor gives you a longer life and you don’t take life so serious all the time. I love to laugh and I’m hoping people will find some humor in the book.”

Alex Miller is a journalism senior and sports writer for The Battalion.

goal by May of 2020.

Erica Pauls, President of the Matthew Gaines Initiative and political science junior, said they have created marketing, programming, outreach, fundraising and art commemoration committees to address each facet of the statue’s creation. The committees are focused on raising awareness of the project through advertising on campus and reaching out to student organizations.

“We’re working toward a significant growth of our platform,” Pauls said. “We’re going to have yard signs and our logo on TV screens around the campus. We’re talking to Building Administration, the MSC, the Rec, Zachry, just to get our logo and information out there.”

Pauls said they’ve already begun reaching out to student groups by holding a student outreach dinner at the home of Vice President of Student Affairs Daniel Pugh with 50 student leaders in attendance.

“In regards to outreach, we’re working toward speaking to orgs and tabling,” Pauls said. “A lot of [student leaders] have reached out to us that they want us to present at their organization meetings and their events, so we’re starting to do that right now.”

The art commemoration committee is about to begin its search for an artist to create the bronze statue. Although the project is in its early stages, some have come forward to offer their skills, Pauls said.

“We already have a few sculptors that have approached us that are interested in designing the statue,” Pauls said.

“So we’ll be reaching out to them and others that we have found of interest.”

Matt Jennings, senior director of development at the Texas A&M Foundation and Class of 1995, advises the committee on the complexities of fundraising. The Texas A&M Foundation typically works with individual donors, so working with a student committee has its own unique challenges.

According to Jennings, former and current students have officially committed over $50,000 towards the cause. Although the funding is integral, student support and awareness allows the project to garner a majority of its donors.

“I know that’s going to be an important part of [fundraising],” Jennings said. “ It’s very important that externally, the former students can see that the student body is committed to this project and that the student body feels that this as an important thing to do.”

After decades of attempts to get support for the Gaines Statue, the student support is what has given the project endurance.

“We’re excited about the message it’s going to send,” Jennings said. “The hard part is getting folks to separate themselves from their money. They want to see momentum. That’s why I think the student involvement is so critical because that’s going to be the message we send to other people who might be skeptical.”

Student Body President Mikey Jaillet said the committee is focused on raising awareness among students of Gaines’ life and impact as it relates to A&M. “There has been a lot of great things done in terms of who Matthew Gaines was, from [New Student Conferences] to Fish Camp to a student leader round-table,” Jaillet said. “The level of student leaders as well as students in general that are starting to learn more about Matthew Gaines, who he was as a person and the diversity initiatives at Texas A&M, is getting deeper and spreading wider.”

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NCAA CONTINUED

Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION

Editors Hollis Mills and Cole Fowler copy edit during a production night in the Battalion newsroom.

BATT CONTINUED of The Battalion can use the donated money to benefit The Battalion directly, from paying staffers to increasing the number of print editions. But the collaboration does not end there, Snowden said.

“One of the things we want to provide is mentorship, and in order to do that we wanted to talk to other people who have done the same sort of thing,” Snowden said.

With this idea in mind and five full pages of alumni signatures, Snowden worked with treasurer Angelique Gammon and another colleague to submit a letter to University President Michael Young explaining their goals. This led to a meeting with A&M administrators this summer.

Gammon, Class of 1982 and journalism professor at A&M, said The Battalion is unlike any other campus organization.

Journalism is a pillar of democracy, and the only business that is outlined in the constitution, she said. The role of a student newspaper is also consistent with the 1893 charge of land grant universities to educate citizens to make informed self-governance decisions.

“You have charges as a land grant university, we have support from top down from Chancellor [John] Sharp,” Gammon said. “I know money is tight but, you cannot treat The Battalion’s funding needs the same way you treat any other campus activities’ needs.”

As a student-run newspaper, The Battalion is an avenue for students to voice their opinion, and Aggies should not forget that, McElroy said.

“I think what’s really important for students to realize is that The Battalion is not just for a fight for experiential learning; The Battalion is their voice,” McElroy said. “The Battalion is telling them things they need to know, whether it’s online or in print.”

Recently, the department of communication has restructured the journalism degree program, which is now under the label “University Studies, Liberal Arts Journalism Studies Concentration,” and Gammon said there is an increasing need for a student media outlet where students can practice professional skills.

“We are never going to have that degree grow to where its potential is ... if there isn’t a place to practice the skill,” Gammon said. “We have to have student media.”

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‘A Game Changer’ The situation could change moving forward, however, as new legislation is forcing the NCAA’s hand on these issues.

California governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 206, also called the Fair Pay to Play Act, into law on Sept. 11, reigniting the argument over whether college athletes should receive compensation for their name, image or likeness. The bill won’t go into effect until Jan. 1, 2023.

Other states are in talks to push similar bills through their legislature. Florida is considering a bill that would go into effect in 2020; Colorado, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington have all discussed similar legislation.

Since its inception in 1906, the NCAA’s stance has been to ban student-athletes from generating income using their image as an athlete and to penalize those who the governing body deems guilty.

The NCAA hasn’t taken a major stance on the signing of California’s law, other than a statement released on Sept. 30.

“We will consider next steps in California while our members move forward with ongoing efforts to make adjustments to NCAA name, image and likeness rules that are both realistic in modern society and tied to higher education,” the NCAA said in the statement.

In 2013, former A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel found himself in trouble with the NCAA after he allegedly accepted payment for signing autographs in January of that year.

Manziel served a half-game suspension in the Aggies’ season opener against Rice, though there was no evidence to corroborate the claims, according to the university.

After that, Manziel became the poster child for the movement and even graced the cover of TIME Magazine’s Sept.

16, 2013 edition, which featured a story titled “It’s Time to Pay College Athletes.”

In an early 2018 tweet, Manziel shared a picture of the TIME cover with a caption that called the NCAA a joke for not allowing college athletes to be paid.

Creative Commons

TIME Magazine’s Sept. 16, 2013 issue featured thenTexas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel with a call for college athletes to be paid.

A&M head football coach Jimbo Fisher said California’s law will be a turning point for college athletics.

“It’s really going to change how things are done,” Fisher said in a press conference on Sept. 30. “I’m anxious to see the next step the NCAA takes. They’re going to have to make the accountable adjustments to what goes on. It’s definitely a game changer.”

Recruiting Champions Though there is potential for an increase in the number of student-athletes going to California, Foster said he doesn’t think the SEC will see much effect.

“It falls back on the A&M brand and the Jimbo brand,” Foster said. “A&M has a lengthy enough contract with Jimbo to have a true culture shift when it comes to football. Just looking at all the sports, A&M has probably one of the best sport traditions in the country.”

It is that deep tradition in the states introducing these laws that is a driving factor behind the push for change, Foster said.

“When you have a sport history as deep as California and a sport culture that’s so powerful, you see legislation start to pour through,” Foster said. “It’s like, ‘We’re producing a lot of student-athletes that eventually go to college and go pro.

Realities of College Athletics A common misconception about college athletes is that they are in stable financial situations. The reality is that scholarships, especially full rides, are few and far between.

According to USA Today, less than two percent of high school athletes are offered scholarships for college, with only one percent of those receiving full rides.

“It’s being framed that student-athletes are making tremendous amounts of money — millions upon millions of dollars — where right now, the way it’s structured is this [bill] is just [allowing] a student-athlete [to] have a YouTube channel or be part of an advertisement,” Foster said.

“It seems small, but that’s a huge difference than making NBA-level contract money or college football coach contract money.”

In fact, during the 2017-18 season, 38 NCAA D1 football programs generated over $100 million in total revenue each, according to USA Today. Meanwhile, some student-athletes struggle to buy groceries and pay their bills without scholarships or other ways to supplement their income. Foster said during his time as an athletic department intern at Florida A&M, he spoke with some athletes who struggled to make ends meet.

“They would use their stipend or their money card just to put groceries in their house, or they would use the cash-back feature to run and go pay a bill,” Foster said. “You shouldn’t struggle day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month for something as simple as that.”

This bill will benefit not only the student-athletes playing high revenue-generating sports, but student-athletes across all sports, even if they’re not receiving endorsements from name brands, Foster said.

“Let’s say in the one part of Texas where football isn’t king, wrestling is king,” Foster said. “If A&M had varsity wrestling, maybe businesses out in that area would want to connect with and promote our wrestling squad and use [a student-athlete] in different advertisements, even if it’s making a poster and putting him on the poster.”

Foster said California’s bill, and others that may follow, come down to one thing — giving student-athletes the opportunity to follow their passions and monetize their talents.

“The world is big now; the world is huge,” Foster said.

“You scroll through YouTube, you see people making money off of channels about any and everything. You have no idea what these student-athletes could do.

“I think a lot of people need to open their eyes and broaden their perspective on what this could be and not think that it’s shady, back-alley deals, or student-athletes are working with these unsavory individuals,” Foster said. “I think this could actually be far more pure than what people think.”

For Trahan, California’s bill comes two years too late, as the NCAA shut the door on his athletic career.

“It’s like crushing dreams before they can come to fruition,” Trahan said in his video. “Human beings deserve the right to pursue those things.”

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The Opposition Last month, former University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow said on ESPN’s First Take that the implementation of the California law would ruin college athletics by turning it into a money-making venture, thus eliminating the passion.

“We’re changing it from ‘us’ — which [is what] makes college football and college sports special — to then it’s just about ‘me,’” Tebow said. “I know we live in a selfish culture where it’s all about us, but we’re just adding and piling it on to where it changes what’s special about college football.”

This mindset already exists outside of sports, however.

While Tebow fears student-athletes will choose schools based on how much money they could make, Foster said non-athletes are already choosing schools for a similar reason.

“We have students going to universities because they have the top program, not so much that they have the dedication and commitment to the university,” Foster said. “At A&M, we have the top sport management program; students can say, ‘I want to go to A&M because they have the top program. I don’t care about being an Aggie.’”

NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a Q&A with the Indianapolis Star on Oct. 3 that the California bill puts the NCAA in jeopardy if California schools move forward and create their own conferences to compete in.

“The complete elimination of rules is not acceptable,” Emmert said. “You simply can’t have a successful athletic association when we don’t have any rules in place, and you can’t control the behavior of third party systems.”

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Football is king in Texas, and championships are the top priority for many major programs, Foster said. Competitive teams have an even greater incentive to follow the rules, as individual athletes and schools that violate the NCAA’s name, image and likeness regulations are ineligible to compete in bowl games and championships.

“With the sports history in Texas, they emphasize championships,” Foster said. “Other states are fine with having top teams, top-tier talent and not worrying about championships, but in Texas, championships are pretty much everything.”

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The Battalion | 10.10.19

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Cliff Hogg, Class of 1987, competed on Big Brother from June 25 to Sept. 25.

From Texas A&M to reality TV Following season finale, Aggie looks back on time in Big Brother house

By Meagan Sheffield @mshef350 Cliff Hogg, Class of 1987, competed for a $500,000 prize on the 21st season of reality competition show Big Brother and ended up among the final four participants.

The game show follows a group of 16 competitors from different backgrounds, called HouseGuests, throughout 40 episodes. The HouseGuests are completely isolated from the outside world and placed under 24-hour surveillance as they live in a in a custom-built house and compete in weekly challenges.

Hogg said he and his family have been fans of Big Brother since the eighth season aired in 2007. When the show hosted an open casting call in his hometown of Houston, Hogg and his wife Sharon, Class of 1986, decided to go to watch others try out.

“I always thought I would do well in the game,” Hogg said. “We got there about 10 minutes before the tryouts ended, and I just decided to try out for the fun of it, not really anticipating that anything would happen.

Next thing you know, I got a call back.”

Hogg said he did not know he was cast on the show until a camera crew showed up to his home with a key to the Big Brother house. He also did not know who any of the other competitors were until he showed up to the house when the season began in June.

“When I got in the house [I was] trying to suddenly beat and remember the names of 15 other people and immediately start figuring out who was someone I would want to work with,” Cliff said. “That first day was quite a whirlwind, and even more so for me because I was kicked out of the house on day one and had to fight my way back in. I had to complete a maze in a dark forest to get back in.”

While in the Big Brother house, Hogg

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led an Aggie Yell Practice and discussed the 1999 Bonfire collapse. Hogg is the fourth Aggie to stay in the Big Brother house.

“When I went in, I brought a lot of Aggie gear,” Hogg said. “Obviously I’m a very proud Aggie. Knowing that people are going to know that I’m an Aggie, I felt a responsibility to do my best to uphold the characteristics of Aggies. I wanted to represent the school well and make sure that Aggies were proud of me.”

After the season ended, Hogg returned to Houston and his family. He said it took him a few days to adjust back to his old life.

“Being in that house where you know people are plotting against you all day long, my mind was in sort of a hyperdrive,” Hogg said. “I’m still finding it very surreal when I go to the grocery store or go to a restaurant that there are people who recognize me and see me the same way I see past HouseGuests.”

Sharon said she missed Hogg while he was gone for more than 100 days but supported him because she knew how much he loved the show.

“This was an adventure that was really fun and something that seemed natural,” Sharon said. “I think I saw more of Cliff when he was on the show than I did just typically every day. I feel like I watched more TV than I ever have because we watched the live feeds.”

Although Hogg did not win the $500,000 prize after the season finale, he said he is proud of how close he got to winning and how he played the game. Hogg said he learned what is important to him in life and realized that it was not as easy to separate his emotions from the gameplay as he thought.

“I majored in engineering at A&M,” Hogg said. “I consider myself very analytical. Yet at the end of the day, [it’s] the relationships you build. I realized that it’s harder for me to abandon some of the character and integrity that I learned from A&M.”

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