A question that has been rising to the surface lately is “should college athletes be paid a salary?” One cannot get on the internet now a day and not see some kind of college sport headline. The world of college sports has been changed greatly the past decade due to college athletes. These athletes make insurmountable amounts of money and an unbelievable amount of recognition for the universities. The athletes that provide and make a ton of revenue for the colleges also spend a huge amount of their time practicing and staying committed to sports, and have to maintain good grades in school which requires quite a bit of overtime. Because college athletes generate massive amounts of revenue and put in massive amounts of personal time for their individual universities, colleges need to financially compensate players for their contributions. The colleges that these superstars represent are reaping all of the benefits of the accomplishments the athletes have, yet the big named players are making nothing from what they do.
College athletes should be paid! College athletes are often considered to be some of the luckiest students in the world. Most of them receiving all inclusive scholarships that cover all the costs of their education. They are also in a position to make a reputation for themselves in the sporting world preparing them for the next step. The ongoing debate whether student athletes should be paid has been going on for years. These athletes bring in millions of dollars for their respective schools and receive zero in return. Many will argue that they do receive payment, but in reality it is just not true. Costs associated with getting a college education will be discussed, information pertaining to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and benefits student athletes receive. First, I’ll start with costs associated with college and most of all why student athletes should be paid!
College athletes generate millions of dollars for their schools each year, yet they are not allowed to be compensated beyond a scholarship due to being considered amateurs. College athletes are some of the hardest working people in the nation, having to focus on both school courses and sports. Because athletics take so much time, these student-athletes are always busy. College football and basketball are multi-billion dollar businesses. The NCAA does not want to pay the athletes beyond scholarships, and it would be tough to work a new compensation program into the NCAA and university budgets. College athletes should be compensated in some form because they put in so much time and effort, generating huge amounts of revenue.
Did you know college athletes on average practice 43.3 hours a week while participating in a sport of their choice? College athletes have rigorous schedules not only do they have to practice at their best ability every day at practice, but have to make sure their grades are up to par. Juggling school and sports is not just tough it is very time consuming. With a very long and physically tough schedule these athletes do not have time to look for jobs much less have a job. Although they might not have a job they do make tons of money, but not one cent goes to these athletes. How you ask, these athletes make billions for the NCAA and millions for their respective schools, with apparel, merchandise and television contracts that would break the bank. The NCAA should pay student athletes because the money these athletes make for their school far outweighs the money the schools invest in the athletes.
All the scholarships and free tuition are great. But when it comes to paying athletes for playing a non professional sport in college, it reaches the limit. The state is already complaining that they are broke. There are numerous of ways of spending money wisely than paying college athletes. We also have to think about the student that did not have the chance to receive help paying for their education. Even giving the college new technology and advanced equipment, so all students can have the experience they need before getting out into the real world. So students can be prepared to face any challenges life throws at them. Knowing they have worked hard at what they have become, and will appreciate the accessories and experience that came with it.
College athletics is a billion dollar industry and has been for a long time. Due to the increasing ratings of college athletics, this figure will continue to rise. It’s simple: bigger, faster, stronger athletes will generate more money. College Universities generate so much revenue during the year that it is only fair to the players that they get a cut. College athletes should get paid based on the university’s revenue, apparel sales, and lack of spending money.
Last September, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) cut a deal with CBS for a fourteen year, eleven billion dollar contract to broadcast the infamous March Madness basketball tournament. The NCAA also agreed to include sixty-eight teams instead of the previous sixty-five. Currently, there’s talk again between the NCAA and CBS of expanding the tournament to ninety-six teams- all because of money. Of the eleven billion dollars the NCAA will rake in over the coming years, the players actually playing in the games will not get a single cent profit. According to Martin Manley, a prestigious statistical sports analyst, if each player from the 346 Division I schools split the eleven billion evenly, they would receive $2 million each. Similarly, The University of Texas just made a deal with ESPN, a popular sports show, for 300 million dollars to create their own TV station. This station will showcase Texas and carry most of their football and basketball games (Hiestand). This argument is not about handing collegiate players $2 million dollars, it’s about giving them a small cut of the billions of dollars they generate. Athletes that play on revenue-producing teams should get some type of monetary reward for the millions of dollars they bring in to their school and the NCAA.
College athletes generate millions of dollars for their schools each year, yet they are not allowed to be compensated beyond a scholarship due to being considered amateurs. College athletes are some of the hardest working people in the nation, having to focus on both school courses and sports. Because athletics take so much time, these student-athletes are always busy. College football and basketball are multi-billion dollar businesses. The NCAA does not want to pay the athletes beyond scholarships, and it would be tough to work a new compensation program into their budget and the budgets of the universities. College athletes should be compensated in some form because they put in so much time and effort, and they generate huge amounts of revenue.
The debate on whether college athletes should be paid to play is a sensitive controversy, with strong support on both sides. College athletics have been around for a long time and always been worth a good amount of money. This billion dollar industry continues to grow in popularity and net worth, while they continue to see more and more money come in. The student-athletes who they are making the money off of see absolutely none of this income. It is time that the student-athletes start to see some of this income he or she may by helping bring the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are many people who do not think this is in the best interest of the student-athletes or Universities, but that being said there are also many people who are in favor of the change.
Everyone can understand that being a full-time student and balancing work can be difficult. College athletes are not getting paid, and the general public as well as universities do have the funds and means to make it possible. If college athletes don’t get paid, they could very well walk off the playing field and not come back. What would happen if the entire Fresno State University football team walked off the field and decided they weren’t going to play until they got a paycheck? The university would lose a ton of money, and the funds of the school would drop even more. There are a lot of good reasons behind whether or not college athletes should be paid, but what it comes down to is what is going to be best for the universities and public as a whole, and how they can benefit from these athletes.