College Athletes Should Be Paid

The first president of the NCAA, Walter Byers, once stated, “All of this is not fair, and I predict that the amateur code now based on a forgone philosophy and held in place for shear economic purposes, will not long stand the test of the law” (Schooled-The Price of College Sports). So why has it? This controversial issue on whether college athletes should be compensated or not has been debated for years, but still has not been resolved. Although the highly disputed debate on whether to pay college athletes or not is very intricate, evidence clearly shows they should be further compensated.

Asking wether to pay college athletes or not is one of the most heated debates in NCAA history. Although it may sound good to the students, it will arise devastating effects on society. The discrimination that might occur if we decide to pay athletes could initiate public riots or violence. The idea of college athletes being paid should be put to rest based on the consequences that would arise (Bokshan).

Twenty eight of the division one college football teams generated over 100 million dollars in revenue last year (Schroeder). The 65 universities that make up the Power Five conferences, plus Notre Dame, totaled $6.3 billion in revenue during 2014-15 as compared to the $11 billion brought in by the NFL. With the amount of publicity that the colleges and NCAA are receiving along with the money that they bring in from college football, the players deserve a portion of the money rather than just a scholarship. The revenue brought in by these colleges are often seen going to the coaching staff and the overpayment of their coaches as seen when Jim Harbaugh transitioned into being a college coach but received the same wage.

Paying College Athletes should be allowed under NCAA rules, because it let’s the athletes know and feel like they are appreciated. Being paid for doing something you dedicate your time to and exceed greatly in there should be a monetary reward. Student athletes in college should be paid for dedicating all their time into the sport, but also well balancing their grades too. Paying the athletes will help the athletes have pocket money and not making them having to make time for a job either.

The issue of whether college athletes should be paid is a topic that has been long debated, from the very inception of college sports in the 1920s. The NCAA considers college athletes to be amateur athletes and not professionals, this means that they should only be playing for the love of sport and not anything else. The dictionary definition of an amateur is “one who engages in a pursuit, study, science, or sport as a pastime rather than as a profession” (Merriam-Webster). College athletes are supposed to make education their number one priority, with sports being a past time for them. In the real world, ranking an athlete’s priorities can get very difficult, an NLRB probe ruled that:

One of the most asked questions among the NCAA and college boards around the nation, is whether or not college athletes should be paid or not. There have been many debates over this frequently discussed topic. There are many articles on both sides, these articles mainly discuss one side of the issue. Even though there are many articles talking about this people today still wonder what everyone else’s side it. My personal belief is that college athletes should get paid because it can really help out the students. College athletes deserve to be paid for many different reasons.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a 501(c)3 business that will bring in over one billion dollars in revenue in 2014. However, many of the athletes that bring in the money to the NCAA are complaining of going hungry because of the strict rules the NCAA has placed on university athletic programs. In March 2014, Shabazz Napier, the star of the 2014 NCAA Champions University of Connecticut Men's Basketball Team, publically told reporters that he sometimes goes to bed hungry some nights because he can not afford food. Although NCAA full scholarships include meal plans, the NCAA recognized a need for more accessible food for athletes. In April 2014, the NCAA approved a motion that will allow universities to provide unlimited

These athletes are spending most of their time on the field, and should therefore be paid as such. In addition, college athletes should be reimbursed for spending most of their time focused on the sport, rather than their formal education. Statistically, top men’s basketball and football players spend 40 hours a week dedicated to sports. (Text 2)

professional athletes. These athletes are often one step away from either being picked up by a professional team, or one step away from being recognized just as much as a professional athlete. What separates college athletics from professional athletics is the pay and perks that come along with playing in a collegiate division versus those that involve playing at a professional level.

In professional and college sports, the best team or organization is crowned champion. But in college sports, the broadcasting network and NCAA are the true winners, making billions of dollars off of it. Yet the players crowned champion make nothing. In late 2014, Gallup released a report that showed that the average full-time working American works 46.7 hours a week, while college football players average practicing 44.8 hours a week and they have a high injury risk. According to Social Security data, the median net wage for a working individual in the United States is $28,031. College athletes make nothing. Student-athletes in college put in as many hours as regular full-time workers, and risk injury while doing so. College student-athletes

College sports raise huge sums of money, we all know that, but you may be surprised on how much money they actually make. Texas A&M, a university in Texas makes more than 190 million dollars every year off of college sports alone, and none of it goes to the athletes who

Playing a sport in college is equivalent to working a full-time job (Thomas). There are rules that allow major-college football coaches to only demand twenty hours of the players time each week (Wieberg). However, studies show that those athletes are doubling those hours per week during the season (Wieberg). Other sports are putting in the equivalent of a full time work week (Wieberg). Some NCAA officials are concerned with the amount of time spent stating that beyond forty hours is inhumane (Wieberg). Most of the athletes compete and do whatever it takes to succeed, so they enjoy spending countless hours on sports (Wieberg). Many athletes even have struggles in the classroom because they do not have enough time to study. Student-athletes at top Division

know most college athletes live in poverty probably not? If you put everything on the line just like you were in a pro sport and you don’t get rewarded for that how would you feel that’s why I think college players should be paid and here’s some more reasons just in case you don’t agree.

            If college students are spending their time playing these sports and not working, they should be getting paid for it. Not only are these students forfeiting their time to study, talk to friends, and even relax after classes, but they are missing an opportunity to have jobs. “Players’ relationships to the school they play for should be spelled out in an individualized pay-for-service contract rather than an NCAA-standardized letter of intent that impinges on basic freedoms” (Marx, 475). The NCAA requires that students are enrolled full time and play football to gain the scholarship offered. There is an argument by Hartenstine on this subject that “Some 15 percent played professional football as a first career, but 15 percent were corporate executives, 13

In, recent years, there has been much controversy over whether college athletes should be paid. The argument has primarily consisted of whether college athletes deserve special monetary treatment over the other students at universities. Some athletes are starting to feel exploited because the universities are using the players in their advertising campaigns. These students aren’t receiving any financial compensation for their images being used in the media. These athletes are bringing in millions of dollars to their schools in sponsorships, but what are they getting in return? College athletes should have their full tuition, meals, and housing paid for, but the school should not be responsible for giving these student athletes money for playing. The school should not be responsible for paying the athletes because they are financially irresponsible, college athletic programs cannot afford to pay athletes, playing sports is a privilege, and it would remove athletes’ competitive nature and passion for the game.