Analysis: Why College Athletes Should Be Paid

College athletics is a multi-million dollar industry and has been for a long time. Due to the increasing ratings of college sports, the figure will continue to rise. Bigger, stronger athletes will generate more money. College Universities generate so much revenue during the year that it is only right to compensate these athletes. College athletes devote much of their time and energy to their teams, and in return the teams often receive a great deal of money, so these students athletes should be paid. “Athletes during the early and mid-1900’s were routinely recruited and paid to play and there were several instances where individuals representing the schools were not enrolled as students. There is one report of a Midwestern university using

“The NCAA basketball tournament generated $9 million per year in 1981, $215 million per year in 19997, and approximately $750 million per year now” (Gilleran). This shows the increase in demand in college sports. All revenue that colleges generate go directly to the NCAA, the coaches, and the schools. The money goes to the people involved in the events, except the athletes. “Last year the NCAA raked in a record $1 billion in revenue from media rights fees, ticket sales, corporate sponsorships and a proliferation of television ads anchored around the three week long tournament” (Bronson). So in return for playing for three weeks straight, generating a billion dollars, the athletes receive nothing. “Most economists who have studied the NCAA view it as a cartel that attempts to produce rents by restricting output and limiting payments for inputs such as player compensation. Fifty colleges report annual revenues that exceed $50 million. Meanwhile, five colleges report annual revenues that exceed $100 million” (“The NCAA Racket: $10 Billion 'Non-Profit' Organization”). This means that they receive maximum profit without the responsibility of having to compensate many people for their revenue. “Head football coaches at the 44 NCAA Bowl Championship Series schools received on average $2.1 million in salaries. 40 out of 50 U.S. states have a university or college coach as

One being, “college athletes receive a free education” (McCauley). As mentioned earlier the education that they receive is not the value of a typical college student. These athletes aren’t treated the same as their peers and don’t receive as challenging or as good of quality as any average college student. Also, most college athletes don’t even stay in college for the full four years. This is due to them not being able to afford staying in college and need to find a job, or they reach the pros. Compensating them in college would give them a reason to stay for all four years and possibly graduate. “Would all the athletes get paid the same amount? If so, that certainly seems strange and borderline unfair” (McCauley). Just like professional sports, different sports get different amounts of revenue. A professional U.S. basketball player will make more money than a professional volleyball player. So that would be the same in college. If the sport the athlete plays makes more revenue for that school, then they would receive higher compensation. If the athlete holds more value and creates even more revenue for the school, they are obligated to higher pay. Just like in professional sports, the more value a player had, the higher they would be