There will be a sea of student supporters when BYUtv launches its “GameDay” pregame show outside LaVell Edwards Stadium on Friday, August 31, at 4 p.m.
Students from all over campus are running cameras, editing audio and video, creating graphics, and providing interference for the rigorous two-hour production – these are the best of the best.
To work on the show, a student does not need to study in broadcast; they simply need to be skilled in their field. Regardless of scholarship status, students are compensated in some way for their work on the show as university employees.
Their football teammates will arrive to an explosive clamor ten minutes into the broadcast as they get ready to take on Southern Illinois. They are also students, but there is a significant distinction; most of them are on scholarships, and some have no benefits at all.
Despite their challenging job requirements, the 60,000-plus fans who paid top dollar to watch them, and the millions in revenue they will generate for BYU over the next four hours, none of these students can be compensated like the BYUtv crew.
Players who are paid are uneasy. When it comes to student athletes and money, there are a lot of depressing stories. Among them is Nick Emery, a former guard for BYU. The former Lone Peak High standout was found by the NCAA to have accepted additional advantages from four BYU supporters when she was a member of the Cougars from 2015 to 2017. The regulatory committee consequently made BYU give up 47 wins. In 1994, there was a point-shaving incident at Arizona State when athletes were persuaded to “throw” basketball games for financial gain. In 1987, SMU’s football program received the “death penalty” due to allegations that it had paid its players and their families.
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