BleedGopher
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per ESPN:
Short-form video content company Overtime announced Thursday that it is launching a professional basketball league that will compensate high school-aged players in hopes of funneling elite talent away from playing both high school and collegiate basketball, in which players are prohibited from being compensated.
Overtime will launch the league, Overtime Elite (OTE) in September, targeting top-ranked players ages 16 to 18 who are willing to forfeit their remaining high school eligibility and future college eligibility to earn six figures.
League executives hope OTE can capitalize off American high school players choosing to eschew the traditional route of finishing a high school career and playing at least one year of collegiate ball before declaring for the NBA draft.
It's an emerging trend of "athletes trying to hack the system to find a way to really address ... preparing themselves for a pro path and a pro career," said OTE president and commissioner Aaron Ryan.
OTE will operate out of one city (which will be announced at a later date) and will consist of up to 30 total players from across the world. The teams will play not only against each other, but against competition from American prep schools and other countries. The total number of teams that will make up the league and how rosters will be constructed was not disclosed.
According to Ryan, some current players feel their high schools don't offer adequate academic and skills development and want to challenge current NCAA rules that don't allow them to profit from their likeness.
"This offering and opportunity not only gives you pro-caliber training and development in a facility that models and starts to simulate what life will be like in the NBA ... but it also provides a six-figure salary," said Ryan, who worked in the NBA for 22 years, including most recently as vice president of the NBA 2K league.
Each OTE player will earn at least $100,000 guaranteed for the season. The league also plans to compensate players through bonuses, equity in Overtime, and revenues from a player's name, image and likeness, the latter an NCAA issue that is currently being discussed in Congress.
Along with full health care benefits, OTE will offer up to $100,000 for players to use toward college tuition in the event a player doesn't go on to play in the NBA or other professional leagues.
www.espn.com
Go Gophers!!
Short-form video content company Overtime announced Thursday that it is launching a professional basketball league that will compensate high school-aged players in hopes of funneling elite talent away from playing both high school and collegiate basketball, in which players are prohibited from being compensated.
Overtime will launch the league, Overtime Elite (OTE) in September, targeting top-ranked players ages 16 to 18 who are willing to forfeit their remaining high school eligibility and future college eligibility to earn six figures.
League executives hope OTE can capitalize off American high school players choosing to eschew the traditional route of finishing a high school career and playing at least one year of collegiate ball before declaring for the NBA draft.
It's an emerging trend of "athletes trying to hack the system to find a way to really address ... preparing themselves for a pro path and a pro career," said OTE president and commissioner Aaron Ryan.
OTE will operate out of one city (which will be announced at a later date) and will consist of up to 30 total players from across the world. The teams will play not only against each other, but against competition from American prep schools and other countries. The total number of teams that will make up the league and how rosters will be constructed was not disclosed.
According to Ryan, some current players feel their high schools don't offer adequate academic and skills development and want to challenge current NCAA rules that don't allow them to profit from their likeness.
"This offering and opportunity not only gives you pro-caliber training and development in a facility that models and starts to simulate what life will be like in the NBA ... but it also provides a six-figure salary," said Ryan, who worked in the NBA for 22 years, including most recently as vice president of the NBA 2K league.
Each OTE player will earn at least $100,000 guaranteed for the season. The league also plans to compensate players through bonuses, equity in Overtime, and revenues from a player's name, image and likeness, the latter an NCAA issue that is currently being discussed in Congress.
Along with full health care benefits, OTE will offer up to $100,000 for players to use toward college tuition in the event a player doesn't go on to play in the NBA or other professional leagues.
OTE pro league to pay high school-aged players
Short-form video content company Overtime is launching a professional basketball league that will compensate high school-aged players in hopes of funneling elite talent away from playing both high school and collegiate basketball.
www.espn.com
Go Gophers!!