LeBron James sure was feeling generous for the holidays when he gave out a pair of Beats Studio³ Wireless headphones to all the members of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Along with the headphones comes a note from the NBA legend, expressing support for the team. James has always been a vocal fan of Ohio State, even going so far as calling them his favorite college football team.

Fortunately for the players, James’ gift does not violate the NCAA’s rules. For those who do not know: the NCAA has a rule that prohibits bowl season players from receiving gifts that have a value beyond $550, reports Business Insider.

Thanks to a loophole, James was able to distribute his gifts through a program between the university and Beats by Dre. The university will then distribute the gift package containing the headphones and the note.

NCAA’s controversial bowl policies

The NCAA’s bowl gift policies have been under tighter scrutiny in the past few years. This was in light of the revelations that college football coaches take home huge amounts of money in bonus money when their team qualifies for the bowl games. Executives of these single-game events also pocket half a million dollars every year.

For example, North Carolina coach Mack Brown might take home an additional $75,000 if his team wins in the Military Bowl.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day, who already has a hefty $4.5 million salary every year, also has a chance to snatch as much as $350,000 in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

There is clamor among fans to raise the maximum value of the gifts for players. When you consider that the football players spend an average of 20 hours practicing every week, the maximum $550 gift value seems too small.

People feel that they should at least be getting more during the bowl season. So far, players have an ally in Football Bowl Association executive director Wright Waters. According to him, the NCAA should evaluate the amount. He even proposed to tie the amount to the cost of living so it will adjust accordingly.

Ohio State's chances in the Fiesta Bowl

Ohio State is set to have one of its fiercest games in the past few years on the Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes are going to go up against the Clemson Tigers, which won the 2019 ACC Championship Game. The Tigers are also one of the most popular teams in the world of college football at the moment, which means that Ohio State has a tough game ahead.

However, there is still a huge chance for Ohio State to stage an upset. According to the Buckeyes Wire, there are three conditions that could clear the way for a win for Ohio State. First, the team must have a good start. Second, the Buckeyes must work the trenches. And lastly, they need to maximize the skills of quarterback Justin Fields. Stay tuned for more updates.
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