Analysis: Why NCAA Athletes Should Be Paid

Another path this debate travels down is determining where the funds for the compensation will be found. At the expense of all other non-big revenue producing sports, it is assumed that those sports will take the hit financially. Women’s soccer, swim, lacrosse, and many more that are not big business. It is unfair to these hard working athletes, who go out every day and work just as hard. Along with other student athletes being affected, non-athletic students will also be affected largely. With what money not being taken from other sports will be taken from possible scholarship money that could be allotted to these academic based students. Not only are these students losing opportunity for free money but also being set on a side of a drawn divisor. Student athletes have special everything, ranging from their own tutors to their own specific counselors. As stated in the NCAA Guide “basic purpose of this Association is to maintain intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of the educational program and the athlete as an integral part of the student body…” (NCAA) This statement in which is

The popularity of college sports has risen tremendously throughout the years amongst Americans. The passion to watch college basketball, football, baseball, and other sports has generated billions of dollars to the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) and to various athletic programs throughout America. Even though, colleges are raking in millions of dollars from their sports teams. “Last year 's National Collegiate Athletic Association ("NCAA") basketball tournament generated over $70 million in gross receipts” (Goldman).The NCAA prohibits payments, beyond educational scholarships, to athletes who are the source of these revenues. College athletes spend countless number of hours in their sport every day by attending long and tiresome practices, workout sessions, and film sessions whilst balancing their academics, but do not receive any payment for their efforts. Athletes are putting their lives and careers in danger during practices and games by being vulnerable to any type of injury that might end their careers, and many of these athletes are not provided any type of medical insurance to fund their injuries. Colleges need to realize that athletes often feel exploited because while they generate revenues, they are scrounging to meet their basic necessities and sacrificing their academic and professional careers. Many college athletes, professional lawyers, and sports analysts have taken various initiatives to help

Have you ever heard of a business that made billions of dollars, yet did not pay their employees? Seems pretty remarkable doesn’t it? Well this business is known as the NCAA. According to an article in the New York Times, the NCAA made $770 million from just the three-week Men’s Basketball Tournament, but how much did the athletes who participated in said tournament receive? If you said zero then you would be correct. The athletes that poured their blood, sweat and tears into practice everyday and into the 30 plus game regular season did not see a dime. It is hard to fathom how an industry of

Due to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules and regulations no college athlete is able to receive any compensation or endorsement while participating in college athletics. These rules have long been challenged, however, the NCAA does not make any changes. With universities grossing close to $200 million a year, college athletics has turned into one of the top industries in the world. The NCAA, a governing body of college athletics, currently holds all power in college athletics. Without people questioning the NCAA and demanding changes to the monopoly that the NCAA holds nothing will happen to the unfairness to college athletes in college sports today. College athletes deserve to receive compensation in some way for the

The NCAA is a multi-billion dollar industry that generated over $845 billion last year due to their players’ ability to entertain and perform to their fullest extent at all times. So with all of this money flowing in, why wouldn’t they provide their athletes a stipend? Well that’s a question that today baffles many. What they basically have in place is a corporation that makes tons of money and, oh yeah, they don’t have to pay their employees. Sounds like the perfect business model right? What has continued to be one of the most pressing issues in the world of sports today has now become a matter the NCAA can no longer afford to ignore. The service that college athletes provide to the institutions they attend in addition to millions of spectators all over the world is still not being rewarded in the manner that it should be for their above-average dedication, work ethic, and most importantly money brought in to their employer.

With college basketball and football originating in the 1800’s, the game has had much time to adapt. Over the years, the sports have become more and more popular, gaining a bigger fan base, which has resulted in substantial profits from the sale of merchandise representing the teams and players. There is one thing that has not changed; all of the athletes are still not being paid. The National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, is an organization that regulates most aspects of

There is blatant, inarguable proof that the players and their talents are being exploited. These athletes are the draw to the games. They are the reason people watch and cheer on their teams. The amount of money given as a “full” scholarship is a marginal benefit only a drop in the bucket when compared to the market value of a player’s talent and skills. Athletic scholarships, as will be explained later, is indeed financial assistance but still leaves the student athlete living below, or at best slightly above, the poverty line. The NCAA and the respective universities has a duty to be concerned with the overall well-being of its players, not just whether or not an injury would keep their star player from playing in the upcoming game. The NCAA ought to consider the social responsibility of meeting the needs of its players, subsequently initiating a reformation of the NCAA bylaws concerning paying college athletes.

Although college athletes receive a far superior scholarship to attend a college than do non-athlete students, the athletes should still receive extra income from the billions of dollars the NCAA generates per year.

But why haven’t the athletes been able to see some of that extra revenue? After all, without the players there wouldn’t be any revenue. The thought that college sports can be so extremely profitable, especially for the NCAA seems a little ridiculous. Why are they able to keep this much money while also finding a way around paying the athletes who actually bring in the revenue? It is a question that doesn’t seem to have an answer. Athletes are making money and the NCAA doesn’t want to share. One stance that the NCAA has is the argument that “They (college athletes) are students receiving access to a college education through their participation in sports, for which they earn scholarships to pay tuition, fees, room and board, and other allowable expenses. Collegiate sports is not a career or profession. It is the students ' vehicle to a higher education degree”. (Mitchell) It is an easy stance to have when the NCAA doesn’t have to pay for the free education, the universities do.

While generating lots of money for the NCAA, their respective universities, and television, these athletes often end up with no money and no scholarship when their college athletics career is cut short. College sports are extremely popular and they offer a great deal of value to the entertainment industry. The National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, heads a billion dollar business but is unwilling to reward their employees with a cut of the revenues. (Bontemps)

Imagine you are a college athlete. You have worked hard throughout your life to get to where you are today, a Division I college athlete. However, the grind doesn’t stop there. You still have to put in about 40 hours each week on your sport, attend mandatory team workouts and meetings, and travel and compete for your school. Not to mention you still have difficult college classes, sleep, and your social life to worry about. You are well aware of the sacrifices you have to make, but your school? Now that’s another story. They require you to hold a certain GPA and play well enough to keep your hard-earned scholarship, and when you do well on the field, no matter how many awards you win, the school gets the ultimate prize: Money. Yes, college athletes receive scholarships, which do cover a good amount of the cost of college. However, do they cover textbooks and meal plans and other numerous expenses? Former NCAA basketball Final Four MVP Shabazz Napier said “ there are hungry nights that I go to bed and I’m starving”. If this doesn’t tell the NCAA that something is wrong, what will? I strongly believe that NCAA Division I athletes should be paid a certain amount of money because they make money for the NCAA. Therefore, they should be treated like any other paid employee and receive fair compensation. Not paying the athletes is likely an antitrust violation and also morally wrong.

Every year NCAA brings in approximately $6 billion from highly anticipated sports events, such as this month’s NCAA tournament “March Madness”, for example.1 While brackets will be broken, nets will be slashed, and the championship team will be crowned, ultimately the real winner from college events like these is the NCAA itself. While the relentless student-athletes train rigorously day and night to represent their schools, the athletes who participate do not see a single penny, even though they are the ones who “…risk career-ending injuries every time they onto the court, field, or rink.” The NCAA forces all ‘amateur’ college athletes to sign a contract, forbidding monetary compensation for their efforts and restricting them from any sponsorship deals with payouts. This has posed a dilemma since the early 1900s, because some of the best collegiate athletes have been dirt poor, while the NCAA program has continued to make millions off of the names of athletes who cannot afford to feed their own families. As a solution, all NCAA athletes deserve to be paid.

College sports are everywhere in today’s world. Turn on ESPN and you will be surrounded hearing about Jay Bilas’ final four predictions or possibly Jon Gruden’s Heisman candidates. College sports have turned into a multi-billion dollar industry with consistent growth. Despite of the fast growing business, the NCAA remains non-profit and labels the players “student-athletes” to mark them amateur. With this label, athletes are recognized as student first and athlete second. Scholastics are supposed to be prioritized over athletics, however with the growing industry the lines are being blurred. The NCAA is considered to be an amateur league, however, groups of people are pushing for players to become paid due to the high revenue. While one

According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, 480,000 college students were recruited to continue their education while playing the sports they love (“NCAA Recruiting Facts”). Several Americans question the lack of income for collegiate athletes, including college athletes that find themselves battling for a share of the NCAA’s profits in courtrooms. The last reported revenue of the National Collegiate Athletic Association from 2011-2012 was $871,600,000 (“NCAA Benefits to College Student-Athletes”). Therefore, one would one think that the NCAA can afford to pay its players. However, those who believe it is possible to add student athletes to the universities’ payrolls are incorrect. Per the NCAA, while the amount of revenue

Collegiate athletics has experienced rapid financial gain over the last twenty years. With that known, student-athletes have demanded a larger piece of the pie due to the fact that without the athletes no one would be making any of this money. At the point this suit was filed in 2009 the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) had refused to adopt policies that would allow for players to be compensated.