Not all student athletes are treated the same. Many student athletes work hard to maintain themselves financially. For certain sports such as football however, more money is spent on the players, primarily due to the fact that the sport generates more revenue for the school itself. Take senior wrestler John Crisafulli and senior tight end Kyle Brey. Both are student athletes, but live very different lives.
Crisafulli
Decision to come
Crisafulli was destined to wrestle for the Bulls. His three older brothers came to UB and he always wanted to be a part of the wrestling team. This, and other factors, contributed to his decision to come to Buffalo.
But financial benefits never influenced his decision.
"I'm getting a little [financial help] this year, but before I came I had nothing," Crisafulli said. "I was here on my own."
Wrestling is a major commitment and passion for Crisafulli, but doing well in classes and keeping a job are also major priorities.
Schooling
With all of this on his plate, Crisafulli's main focus is scheduling. He was forced to improve his organization in order to keep up with his responsibilities.
The athletics department provides tutoring for its athletes, but as Crisafulli became better with scheduling, he began to study on his own in order to conserve time.
Money
With little financial benefits and not much help from his parents, Crisafulli maintains a job in order to cover his expenses. It was hard to find a job that fit into his schedule, but he landed one at a gym near his house.
"Right now I'm personal training at a gym down the street," Crisafulli said. "So I'm waking up at like five in the morning and training people. Then I come in for a morning lift, and then class, and then practice, and then sometimes I would go train again."
Travel
Road trips are also a major part of being a student athlete. Trips for the wrestling team vary from going somewhere as close as Brockport to places such as Ohio and Michigan.
Sometimes when a trip is for a long weekend, they conflict with class, but the scheduling usually works out.
"We'll head out during the middle of the day," Crisafulli said. "Everybody is getting ready, running on the treadmills, getting our weight down. Then, usually we pack into a van and head out."
Sometimes, when the trips are longer, the van can feel cramped and it can be difficult to sleep, but the players get to rest upon arrival.
Summer
Over the summer, Crisafulli lived in Buffalo while his family lived in Allegany, N.Y., which is about an hour and a half away. He went home on weekends, but worked for his landlord during the week so he could train and make money.
"I stayed up here all summer, working, coming in lifting with the coaches, and wrestling when I can," Crisafulli said. "That's pretty much all my summer was. No vacations or anything, just working and wrestling."
Brey
Decision to come
The only scholarship offer Kyle Brey received was from Buffalo, which factored in his decision. From medical bills to Bulls apparel and food, Brey has been taken care of financially since his arrival at UB. All he has to do is maintain a GPA above 2.0, just like any other student must do to remain enrolled at UB.
"As long as I'm here on campus and mostly in season, Buffalo does an unbelievable job of making sure that I'm taken care of as far as nutrition and everything else that goes along with that," Brey said.
Schooling
Free tutoring is offered for any student athlete. The tutoring program at Alumni Arena is in place to give athletes a chance to learn around their busy schedules, something Brey takes full advantage of.
Money
Scholarship athletes, such as Brey, receive money to cover most of their living expenses. Brey, who lives off campus, receives a check from the school to cover his rent. Any money left over he can spend on food. Additionally, any scholarship athlete that lives on campus will have their meal plan covered by the school.
"I think we get just enough money to take care of all the needs that we have and we don't cross any boundaries as far as what we should be getting," Brey said.
Travel
The football team has six road games this season. Five of six games last season required the team to travel by plane. Brey and the rest of the team fly a Jet Blue charter flight and when they arrive at the airport they are taken to the hotel on four charter busses.
On every road trip the players are fed and hydrated the whole time. The meals for the football team take place in the hotel that the team stays in and every player eats at the same time.
Summer
Although it is not required that football players stay in Buffalo over the summer to work out with the team, it is strongly encouraged.
While the players are here over the summer, the school assists them in finding a job locally. However, it is nearly impossible for a football player to balance a job and football during the season.
