Proposed League Sees New Class of Players in Paul McMann - Sports Manager

Imagine a basketball league that pays players to attend college.

The Collegiate Professional Basketball League, founded by Babson College professor Paul McMann, would give students a $5,000 signing bonus and a $9,000 annual stipend, plus tuition, room and board at a college or university of their choice.

“There is lots of money being made in college basketball and the kids are not getting anything,” McMann said. “At the very minimum, they should be getting an education, and that is what we’re trying to provide.”

The minimum requirement is players attend an annual eight- week accelerated college program at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore.

Players who take extra classes will receive more money, and those who graduate in four years will make another $10,000. Those who graduate in eight years would get $2,500.

The league, which would be independent of the NCAA, hopes to start next year with eight teams playing a 28-game season in major markets such as Boston and Washington. The goal is to expand to 24 teams and a 50-game season by the fifth year. The season would run from November to February.

“We would play NBA rules,” said Dennis O’Connor, communications director for the CPBL. “Our goal is to basically create a super conference in major markets, with a top level of competition playing for teams of great marketing powers.”

McMann said he has invested about $300,000 and has hired investment bankers Josephberg Grosz & Co. to raise the $18 million needed to run the league the first two years.

McMann plans to compete with NCAA schools for the top high school recruits in the country. Connecticut college coaches don’t seem concerned.

“I think it’s a noble effort and it’s a concerted effort to get kids an education,” UConn assistant Karl Hobbs said. “The incentive is there. But you know what the problem is? There are too many fine universities offering kids scholarships. You got a kid looking at UConn, Kansas and Duke, and I’m not sure they’re going to say, ‘I’m playing in that league.’ “

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Last updated June 21, 2019