Oregon not helping Marcus Mariota pay for insurance
By Phil Watson
With several schools opting to use portions of the Student Assistance Fund to help star players pay for loss of value insurance policies, the University of Oregon is not providing quarterback Marcus Mariota with any assistance with his premiums.
According to Jeremy Fowler of CBSSports.com, citing an Oregon source, Mariota purchased a policy last year.
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The NCAA-governed Student Assistance Fund is being used by Florida State to pay for a reported $10 million policy for Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston to cover him in the event of an injury and Texas A&M is reportedly paying nearly $60,000 in premiums for a policy on left tackle Cedric Ogbuehi.
Oregon has four players who have taken out insurance policies and senior associate athletic director Craig Pintens told CBSSports.com that helping all of them would have used most of the fund’s allocation for this year.
The Student Assistance Fund is used to help athletes with such expenses as emergency dental care, travel for funerals and other needs not covered by their scholarships.
The fund was created last August when the NCAA earmarked more than $73.5 million to Division I conferences. The purpose is to “assist student-athletes in meeting financial needs that arise in conjunction with participation in intercollegiate athletics, enrollment in academic curriculum or recognize academic achievement.”
Baylor is reportedly assisting quarterback Bryce Petty and two other players.
The Pac-12 told Oregon that the funds can be used “should the student-athlete lack financial resources to pay for or obtain a loan unrelated to future earning potential.”
The school can’t discuss a player’s financial means, so there is no way to know whether or not that factored into the school’s decision not to assist.
Mariota is returning for his redshirt junior season after throwing for 3,665 yards and 31 touchdowns with just four interceptions for the Ducks last season. He also ran for 715 yards and nine scores. He has led the Pac-12 in passing efficiency in each of his two seasons at Oregon.