Sure, the arena of collegiate athletics can be one full of glory and fame.
18-year-old kids can become household names with one great play. They can become living legends amongst their peers on campus.
But it’s not all gravy when it comes to being a student-athlete. With a sport and school taking up all of their time, athletes usually have no way to fit a job into their schedules.
That’s why the NCAA gives its institutions the ability to cover their athletes’ room and board expenses.
These stipends are good enough for life’s bare necessities, but not much after that.
“It’s super stressful not knowing at the end of each month how you are going to get by,” said ASU senior basketball player Jeff Pendergraph. “[The stipend] is not enough, it’s not even close.”
It’s usually easy to spot an ASU athlete on campus because they’re covered head-to-toe in free, school-provided ASU athletics gear.
Those stipends don’t exactly allow for athletes to splurge on that $100 Lacoste shirt or $500 Louis Vuitton bag.
“I don’t even go out,” Pendergraph said. “I can’t go out wearing T-shirts and basketball shorts. I don’t [have] mad outfits. I don’t have brand new hats or brand new shoes. I’m broke right now.”
Some ASU athletes have more than just themselves to support with stipend checks.
With a couple of young daughters at home, senior football player Keegan Herring has seen his weekends evolve into family time.
“It’s crazy trying to support my two kids [on stipends],” Herring said. “I try to stretch it out as much as I can but you can’t sometimes.”
Still, Herring said part of his next check is going to go toward a new big wheel Jeep for his daughters to drive around.
Reach the reporter at alex.espinoza@asu.edu.
