College Athletes Should Not Get Paid for Play

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The argument whether a student-athlete should be paid to play or not be paid is one that spans the ages. College sports are considered to be of amateur status by the NCAA. Therefore they believe student-athletes should not receive a pay check to participate in a sport. However on the other end of the spectrum, many critics believe that student-athletes should receive pay for play because not only are they participating in a sport, they are entertaining the spectators. They believe that if performers in the entertainment industry are paid, why not pay the college-athletes.

Are student-athletes considered student-athletes or employees? The NCAA stands firm by the rules that student-athletes are not employees, therefore should not be treated as employees. Critics disagree with this NCAA ruling, and believe that due to the large amount of revenue the student-athletes generate, they should be paid for their efforts as employees are paid. The NCAA statistics show that, “only 30 percent of Division I football and 26 percent of Division I men’s basketball programs post revenue over expenses.” The fact is that most all NCAA championships “lose money.” The overall revenue primarily earned from the “Division 1 Men’s Basketball Championship, helps 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member institutions learn and compete in 23 sports and 88 national championships.”

If student-athletes receive monetary rewards for playing they could be considered professional. Therefore, if a student-athlete is paid to play and treated as an employee or professional would they then have the same rights under the Federal Labor Laws? Such rights as to form unions, negotiate wages, hours and working conditions? The federal labor laws differ i...

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...make time to study, be involved in college campus activities, work part-time and participate in athletics in order to succeed. Not having to deal with the pressures and status of being a paid professional will allow the student-athlete to focus more on the sport than on all the legalities of the sport. Leaning to set goals and achieve them as a student-athlete will help them become a well rounded individual.

Student-athletes should not be paid to play and the amateur status should remain as it has for generations. Student-athletes have not matured enough at this stage of life to be able to handle all of the additional responsibilities that would be forced upon them with the professional status. Put the almighty dollar aside and let students-athletes be student’s first, amateur athletes second, allowing them to grow and mature into tomorrow’s effective leaders.

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