preview

College Athletes Should Be Paid

Decent Essays

Standing at the helm of college sports is the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), a non-profit organization that regulates college athletic programs to ensure the safety and well-being of student-athletes (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2015). Founded in 1906, the NCAA has grown to be one of the largest tax-exempt organization in the U.S., generating more than $800 million dollars each year (Treadway, 2013). Because of the NCAA’s substantial revenue, student-athlete advocates, players, observers, and even some coaches have begun to question whether players are being paid a just wage for their work. College athletes, especially those who play Division I football and basketball, generate millions of dollars for the NCAA and their universities. In fact, former Texas A&M football player Johnny Manziel produced and estimated $37 million for …show more content…

A survey conducted by Five Thirty Eight, a website based polling and statistics company, discovered that high-ranking college quarterbacks are worth approximately $3 million (Karaim, 2014). Many “pay-for-play” proponents argue that high profile players like Johnny Maziel are the reason why the NCAA needs to reform their amateurism policies. Furthermore, advocates insist that current forms of remuneration such as scholarships, stipends, and education, although good, are inadequate in compensating players for their physical contributions (Treadway, 2013). Another concern of advocates is whether current NCAA guidelines provide players with the income needed to cover basic necessities like food, clothing, transportation, and other expenses associated with the cost of attendance (Karaim, 2014). In

Get Access