preview

Analysis: Why NCAA Athletes Should Be Paid

Decent Essays

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a business that keeps expanding while the players it supports make nothing. This year the NCAA announced that they are on the verge of reaching the one billion dollar mark in annual revenue. Last year they pulled in an astonishing nine hundred and eighty nine million dollars. Most of its profit growth comes from the division one men’s basketball tournament, which accounts for eighty to ninety percent of their success. With all this incoming profit some players feel as though they are entitled to a piece of the pie. There are currently lawsuits pending and some players have even gone as far as attempting to unionize. Although they are receiving scholarships and get a lot of other assistance, …show more content…

Now some of these players are felling exploited for their talents and believe they should be compensated. “More than 25,000 former NCAA Division 1 football and men's basketball players have filed for status as members of two class-action lawsuits settled by EA Sports, the NCAA and its affiliated licensing company” (Holder B.8). The players felt their names and likenesses had been used illegally and in mid-July a California judge agreed with them. The sixty million dollar lawsuit was decided in favor of the players. Due to the large number of claims submitted the maximum payout will be less than seventy two hundred dollars, most will see substantially …show more content…

“Schools and athlete representatives from the NCAA's five wealthiest conferences voted 79-1 to expand what Division I schools can provide under an athletic scholarship” (Berkowitz np). This vote redefines what a collegiate athlete can receive in a scholarship. Not only do they receive their normal scholarships for the traditional tuition, room, board, books and fees. They now will be offered funds to cover other expenses such as transportation and miscellaneous personal expenses. This is a decision that could impact collegiate athletes all across the nation, in all sports. With just the few schools that agreed to this decision they say they will have to set aside at least 51.9 million dollars. This will allow each athlete an additional twenty five hundred dollars to help with additional costs. I think this is a way more realistic approach than having them receive an actual

Get Access