University or College Athletes

The NCAA has been around and evolved since the beginning of college sports. This organization is a non-profitable organization, but ironically makes more than millions of profit per year. Branch states “that money comes from a combination of ticket sales, concession sales, merchandise, licensing fees, and other sources—but the great bulk of it comes from television contract”(pg. 228). Meanwhile, the student-athletes do not receive any of this money. This is the start of an unsubstantial business between universities built around amateurism.

College sports are one of the largest and fastest growing markets in today’s culture. With some college sports games attracting more viewers than their professional counterparts, the NCAA is one of the most profiting organizations in America. Recently there has been controversy in the world of college sports as to whether the college athletes that are making their universities and the NCAA money should receive payment while they are playing their respective sport. Many believe that these athletes should be paid. Others argue that they are already receiving numerous benefits for playing that sport from their universities. Many of the proponents of paying college athletes are current or former college athletes who believe their hard work and hours put into practice and competing go under appreciated. They feel that while the athletes are making the university money, the athletes do not receive any cut of these profits. Opponents feel that athletes already receive numerous perks and should not receive extra compensation on top of the perks they already receive.

Many student-athletes can have their whole career, their passion, and love of their respected sport taken away from them with just 1 play. The student-athletes are representing their respective school and making the school more popular and more students will want to enroll there and the student-athletes are making the NCAA millions of dollars, but the NCAA will not give the student-athletes just a little allowance because it will “ruin the integrity of college sports”. Student athletes-athletes should get paid because students could get hurt in one play, the NCAA makes millions of dollars on the the players, and it will make the players do smarter things with their money.

The popularity of college sports has risen tremendously throughout the years amongst Americans. The passion to watch college basketball, football, baseball, and other sports has generated billions of dollars to the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) and to various athletic programs throughout America. Even though, colleges are raking in millions of dollars from their sports teams. “Last year 's National Collegiate Athletic Association ("NCAA") basketball tournament generated over $70 million in gross receipts” (Goldman).The NCAA prohibits payments, beyond educational scholarships, to athletes who are the source of these revenues. College athletes spend countless number of hours in their sport every day by attending long and tiresome practices, workout sessions, and film sessions whilst balancing their academics, but do not receive any payment for their efforts. Athletes are putting their lives and careers in danger during practices and games by being vulnerable to any type of injury that might end their careers, and many of these athletes are not provided any type of medical insurance to fund their injuries. Colleges need to realize that athletes often feel exploited because while they generate revenues, they are scrounging to meet their basic necessities and sacrificing their academic and professional careers. Many college athletes, professional lawyers, and sports analysts have taken various initiatives to help

Thesis: College athletes should not get paid due to the financial restrictions of the NCAA, the imbalance of competition, and the fact that these young adults are students.

One of the most controversial subjects we as individuals hear about this day in age is whether or not college athletes deserve to be paid. Many people argue that these athletes do intact, deserve to be paid for their time and hard work. NCAA athletes create a name for themselves by playing and performing well on their college teams. The better these athletes perform, the more publicity the school revives. This then leads to higher ticket sales and stores around campus selling jerseys and other clothing items with athletes names and numbers on the back. NCAA schools have become comfortable with using athletes’ names to bring in a revenue for the school, and yet the athletes never see any of that money. On the other hand, many people believe that these athletes do not deserve, nor should they expect to receive payment in return. They believe that these scholarships and the education are payment in itself. Some even bring up the question on if it is affordable or even realistic to pay college athletes.

There is blatant, inarguable proof that the players and their talents are being exploited. These athletes are the draw to the games. They are the reason people watch and cheer on their teams. The amount of money given as a “full” scholarship is a marginal benefit only a drop in the bucket when compared to the market value of a player’s talent and skills. Athletic scholarships, as will be explained later, is indeed financial assistance but still leaves the student athlete living below, or at best slightly above, the poverty line. The NCAA and the respective universities has a duty to be concerned with the overall well-being of its players, not just whether or not an injury would keep their star player from playing in the upcoming game. The NCAA ought to consider the social responsibility of meeting the needs of its players, subsequently initiating a reformation of the NCAA bylaws concerning paying college athletes.

As of today, there are over 460,000 NCAA student-athletes that compete in 24 different sports while in college throughout the United States (NCAA). Over the past couple decades, the argument for paying these college athletes has gained steam and is a hot topic in the sports community. However, paying these college athletes is not feasible because most universities do not generate enough revenue to provide them with a salary and some even lose money from the sports programs. These collegiate student-athletes are amateurs and paying them would ruin the meaning of college athletics. Also, playing college sports is a choice and a privilege with no mention or guarantee of a salary besides a full-ride scholarship. Although some argue that

Universities and the NCAA make a lot of money off the likeness of college athletes, however these athletes get no form of physical compensation. The NCAA claims to be a nonprofit company, but in a reality they’re a multi-billion dollar industry that is comparable to professional leagues such as the NBA and NHL, due to their players’ ability to entertain and perform to their fullest extent at all times. Over the 9-month 2013-2014 NBA season, the league grossed $4.7 billion, with athletes averaging $5 million salaries. In contrast NCAA Basketball grossed $2 billion over a month long tournament. Despite this staggering figure, the athletes received no compensation. In 2011 the NCAA signed a historic television deal with CBS and Turner Broadcasting,

Americans have become consumed by the world of college athletics. This excitement can be seen all around us. Here at the University of Florida, we experience the energy of division I college sports every day. Whether we choose to participate on football game days, wear Gator athletic apparel, or make conversation every day revolving around topics such as “Tebow’s non-existent NFL career” or “that one basketball player that kept us out of the championship”, the star athletes of our universities become household names across the country. Although it seems to be a life of fame and fortune for these individuals that live the life of a star student athlete, it comes at a cost. Today, college athletes are exploited because of the lack of

This is what happened to the 6-foot 8-inch forward, Kyle Hardrick, in 2009. The talented young athlete lost his scholarship, meaning his family got slammed with the costly tuition of attending the University of Oklahoma. And, because his family could not pay the steep monthly fees, he couldn’t receive a transcript to transfer to another, less expensive university. While Hardrick

College athletes are finally getting attention on the fact that they are not paid. I believe that whether or not it is college or pro sports they deserve a salary. These players put their heart and soul on the field and get nothing in return. In the articles “Athletes New Day” by Paul Marx and “College Athletes Should Not Be Paid” by Warren Hartenstine, the reasons for college athletes to be paid are very evident. No matter the case, if the students move on to pro sports or not after college, they should be entitled to some pay for their contributions. College athletes deserve to be compensated for their playtime in these sports, sales of products with their name on it, and even compensation for their injuries.

A Second argument that supports paying college athletes, is that colleges allow advertisers, arena operators, concession owners, athletic gear manufacturers, retailers, game companies, and media moguls, along with coaches and university officials, to make millions of dollars off of college football players and the college football players received nothing. Student-athletes are prevented from profiting from their name and image. The NCAA makes billions of dollars selling the rights to televise games and selling merchandise and jerseys. Colleges from the Big Ten to the Mid-American Conference ask or require athletes to sign waivers giving up their publicity rights without compensation… (Keilman and Hopkins) Also, these athletes risk their body

Over the last decade college sports have generated more and more money, for themselves and the conferences they’re affiliated with. Division I college sports, most notably football and basketball, provide a huge source of universities’ income. The schools generate revenue from selling tickets, their various television contracts, and merchandise that supports the sport programs, along with many other sports related revenue builders. The athletes however, get a scholarship and not much else. While the thought of getting a free ride through college is something not many people would protest. When the issue is more carefully examined, however, it becomes obvious that it may not be enough. Universities are manipulating athletes, and recently the problems that this creates have become more visible. Many athletes are skipping out on school early and taking their talents to the big leagues to make money. Over the years there have been some reports that boosters as well as alumni pay players while at school. Additionally, some players have been suspect of backroom dealings with gamblers to alter the outcome of a game. Some problems could be minimized, or better yet eliminated, by coming up with a program to pay these college athletes. When you really look at it, these athletes are taken advantage of by their schools, who in turn bring in hundreds of millions of dollars. With the way the system is, many college athletes unknowingly commit violations, choose to leave college early, and

It is every high school athlete’s dream to go play their sport at a higher level, but very few kids are able to accomplish that dream. Scholarship money is even given to athletes for them to play while also getting a college education. This is a very controversial topic because so many people watch college games and other sports events. Collegiate athletes should not get paid due to the uncertainty of the importance of each sport; the professional ratings would drop significantly, and they are already getting a free education.