Paying college athletes (5)

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School

Grand Canyon University *

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105-0502

Subject

Philosophy

Date

Feb 20, 2024

Type

docx

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Uploaded by CaptainOstrichPerson968

1 The Debate on Paying College Athletes Eric Perales CHSS, Grand Canyon University PHI-105: 21 st Century Skills Dr. Riggs October 18, 2023

Show Me The Money! "Show me the money!" is a bad tagline for student-athletes to say to suitor schools. There has been an ongoing debate for some time regarding pay for collegiate athletes. There are two broad categories of funding for collegiate athletes: from outside businesses and from the Universities themselves. In this discussion, we'll focus on payments directly from schools, in addition to traditional scholarships. College athletes should not receive compensation from their school outside of traditional scholarships because their can already be fairly compensated through these scholarships, paying athletes would undermine the educational mission of universities, and create an unfair advantage for wealthy schools. Value of a Scholarship Receiving an education must remain a priority for student-athletes, and the value of a traditional scholarship is significant. The value of a full scholarship varies greatly from school to school, ranging from $50,000 to $250,000. Additionally, individuals with a college degree can expect to earn $500,000 more in their lifetime than those without. The money tied to a full scholarship supports the needs of student-athletes. If athletes receive money beyond that, it sends a message that educational goals are secondary to being a pro athlete, which is not the purpose of universities. Scholarships are enough to mitigate potential revenue loss due to injuries. In addition to the monetary value of scholarships, there’s intrinsic value in being a student-athlete, valued for intellectual and physical growth. Workload While student-athletes put in substantial time and effort, they initially choose to be students, and some are athletes by choice. Student-athlete’s workload is comparable to full-time 2

employees, but a full scholarship is already equivalent to a yearly wage. The focus should be on funding more scholarships, benefiting a larger group of student-athletes. Regular students put in significant work and pay their tuition. Students, including student-athletes, have the right to assess if the value is worth it and explore their options. A few standout athletes in money sports could benefit from new rules allowing payment, but it comes at a high cost to the student body and small institutions. Equity Allowing schools unlimited opportunities to fund athletes would create a larger divide and challenge smaller less endowed schools to compete. Football schools generate revenue, but this should benefit the entire student body, not just a few individuals. There’s pressure to divert funds to select athletes. Big-market teams already have advantages, but the overall educational value differs across universities. Athletic success is correlated with tuition hikes, and allowing athletes to share this revenue exacerbates recruitment challenges for smaller schools. The drawbacks of paying student athletes outweigh the benefits, especially when considering the broader perspective of all parties involved. Conclusion Allowing universities to pay athletes detracts from educational goals and disrupts competitive equity among institutions. Traditional scholarships offer ample opportunities to compensate athletes. Student-athletes should prioritize education, and traditional scholarships allow for this while compensating them for their time and value. Relaxing these rules would primarily benefit a select few individuals and institutions, making competition among schools nearly impossible. Universities should prioritize education. While championships can be part of 3

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